Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen revealed that tennis has surged in popularity in China since her historic singles gold at the Paris Games, leading to a shortage of courts and coaches. Zheng, the first Chinese player to win Olympic tennis gold, said the sport is flourishing at all levels, with local tournaments in Beijing and Shanghai drawing packed crowds.
Zheng, currently competing in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, began her campaign with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima. Ranked world number seven, the 22-year-old top seed attributed the growing interest to her Olympic success, noting that it is now difficult to book courts or find coaches in China. This marks a significant shift as tennis gains traction beyond the professional level.
China’s tennis scene has seen more success, with players like Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen also earning medals at the Paris Olympics. Bu Yunchaokete further elevated Chinese tennis by reaching the semifinals at the China Open, defeating world number six Andrey Rublev in the process.
Zheng, set to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals, continues to evolve her game, saying, “I’m trying to be more aggressive and add new things to my game,” following her recent loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the Wuhan Open final.
