WTA Finals: Zheng makes history after topping Krejcikova to reach title decider

Zheng Qinwen became the first Chinese player to win 50 matches in a season after defeating Barbora Krejcikova on Friday, 6-3, 7-5 at the WTA Finals Riyadh.

The 22-year-old and Olympics singles champion, in her first appearance at the prestigious year-end event advances to Saturday’s final, where she’ll play the winner of the later match between World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.

The No.7-seeded Zheng has won 31 of 36 matches since Wimbledon, easily the most among Hologic WTA Tour players in that span.

“It was tricky because at 3-0 I think I dropped my focus … and she played more free,” Zheng said. “In that moment, I’m not panicked, I just saidto bring back my focus and start at 0-0 like nothing happened.”

“It was really a hard match for me, but it showed that I was mentally strong in that moment,” she added.

Zheng is the 15th first-time WTA Finals competitor in history to reach the final, and the first since Anett Kontaveit in 2021. Seven of those players have won the trophy, and Zheng will need to overcome a winless record against either Aryna Sabalenka (0-5) or Coco Gauff (0-1) to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012 to win the Olympic gold medal and WTA Finals in the same year.