The “QueenWen” Phenom Is Real

WTA 
The “QueenWen” phenom

Zheng Qinwen has been, on the WTA Tour, the other blockbuster of the end of the year with Aryna Sabalenka. But off the court, the Zheng Qinwen mania in China is unmatched. “QueenWen,” as her fans tend to call her, demonstrated the impact that her triumph at the Olympics, and also her final at the Australian Open, had back home when she came to play in Beijing for the China Open and at the Wuhan Open.

Semi-finalist in Beijing, she brought the house down in Wuhan through her journey to the final, selling out the main stadium and sending fans and sponsors into a frenzy at each appearance. There was no commercial spot left on the Chinese broadcast the day before the final, and you could see her face all over the city. I saw it first hand when in Wuhan: Zheng Qinwen was an absolute phenom, treated like a rockstar from the moment someone caught any glimpse of her anywhere. She had the crowd, which also sold out the day of the final, wrapped around her racquet during matches. Li Na would have deserved the same treatment back in the day, but she retired from the sport just when the first Wuhan Open was about to be played. And Li Na wasn’t exactly someone enjoying all this attention. Zheng Qinwen, on the other hand, wants nothing else but to be under the spotlight. That court is her stage.

The landing of “QueenWen” is actually at the heart of the perfect storm: she’s the greatest player China has had since Li Na, in the era of social media, from a generation chronically online and at a time where women’s sports are the new investment trend. In Wuhan, a city with an incredibly young demographic, she came at the perfect time for an event that hadn’t come back since Covid and since the Peng Shuai scandal.

Zheng Qinwen’s rise is the best thing that has happened to Chinese tennis since Li Na decided to hang her racquet. And she’s for sure already making the money coming with this status (she recently signed with Lancôme). What is she saying about it all? Here are her answers through the week in Wuhan.

THE PRESSURE
« It's totally different pressure. I would say the Olympic Games are much more than that because I start to have pressure two days before the Olympic Games start. Every day was so intense. I remember in the quarterfinal and semifinal, my hands were shaking during the match. I mean, after the Olympic Games, I never had those feelings anymore. My hand is not shaking during the match, at least. It's funny. I still have some pressure here, but I will consider much less pressure. It's more under control (smiling). »

« After the Olympics, I've had a really busy schedule. Many big tournaments I have to play. Because I'm making deep runs, I have such concerns. Mentally, I'm tired after each match. I face a lot of stress. I need to deal with this stress. But as of now, I'm feeling okay. It's like when you don't want to go to the office, you still have to go to work. Something like this. I'm playing in Wuhan. This is my hometown. If it's another place, I may not want to go to work (smiling). »

«Because of the busy schedule, I have matches every day, I don't have any other activities to relax. Anything relaxing, I have to wait until after the tournament because I'm in the match. I do not think I need to resolve that fatigue, I need to fight till the end.»

« Of course, there is pressure. I also feel the responsibility as a leader of the new generation, meaning what you are saying is under public scrutiny. I will pay attention to my performance on the court as well as my words off the court. I need to be cautious. It's not like I can say whatever I want to say. I will be cautious. It's a good thing that people are watching me, watching me to improve. Of course, this is pressure. You cannot live under the eyes of other people, so there's a balance you need to strike. While you are improving, you need to know what you should do, what you should not do. »

HOME CROWD
« I think the Wuhan Open is really good and has a great atmosphere. I like playing in front of a big crowd. I think I can perform better with more people. When there are fewer people, I enjoy less playing on the court. (…) When they were cheering for me, of course, it was good. Whether it was pressure or motivation really depends on how I treat it. At this stage, I treat it as motivation. With more people in front of me, I get more excited. »

“Wuhan is more or less a foundation of my tennis. It is where I had my dream of tennis started. I think the tennis culture has been really good in Wuhan. From the age of eight till the age of 13, I spent this period in Wuhan, my formative years in Wuhan. »

« Well, since I arrived, I got a lot of attention. I've always been very busy here in Wuhan. I met a lot of different people. Yes, I love the people here. Of course, there is lot of activity for me, but I enjoy it. Especially I saw there were pictures of me everywhere. I mean, yes, that's insane (smiling). »

«People have big expectations of me here. They want me to play as much as I can. I know the people in Wuhan; they all want to see me because I can feel the passion when I walk on the street. Once they recognize me, everybody starts to come around, asking for my signature and for the photos. Yeah, I mean, I love this atmosphere. At the same time, I need to keep more calm outside of the tennis court. »

BEING A ROLE MODEL FOR THE YOUTH IN CHINA
“I was a teenager not too long before. I cannot believe I'm no longer a teenager. Any messages to them? I've been through many puzzling moments and many doubts as a teenager. I was not at this level of confidence as a teenager. I hope that you can find your direction and be committed to your decisions, and enjoy every day of your life. This is something I repeat to myself every day. »

HER GAME NOWADAYS
« Now, at the age of 22, being a finalist at the 1000 level, especially in Wuhan, this is a really big surprise. With this achievement, I'm really happy. It means I finally have the stability to reach a high level in the big tournament. I do not have too many ups and downs in my game, even in difficult moments. »

A WORD ON RAFA? (Nadal announced retirement during the Wuhan Open)
« Wow, that's a shock news for me. I thought he would continue to play one more year. I mean, yes, he's the leader of one generation. I have watched his match since I was a kid. There are lots of memories. Even now, sometimes I will search for Rafael Nadal and watch his old matches from when he was 19 years old, 20 when he was at primetime. Of course, he inspires a lot to me. Even right now, sometimes when I'm at a difficult moment, I think about how strong Rafael Nadal's tennis mentality is. I think that's sad to hear because I really want to watch him more on the Tour. But every legend, there’s a time for them to retire. I wish he can continue to enjoy life, and that's it. »

Last week, Zheng Qinwen, who has already qualified for the WTA Finals (11 years after Li Na), kept her momentum by clinching the title in Tokyo—her third title of the year.

WTA - WUHAN OPEN
Brenda Perry: “Qinwen is absolutely like a rockstar”

Brenda Perry is the very passionate and committed tournament director of the Wuhan Open. She took some time to talk about the Zheng Qinwen effect in Wuhan this year.

It really feels like Zheng Qinwen is a rockstar here…
She’s absolutely like a rockstar. The first night match she played was sold out. She connects with people, and she seems to enjoy it. She thrives in this, and she’s almost like the people’s queen. Five years ago, she was in the quallies as a newcomer wild card, and so she had to do the rookie hours for the WTA with me. I enjoyed chatting with her; she was delightful to talk to. I asked her what she would like to achieve, and one of the big things was a gold medal. I saw her the other day, and I reminded her of it, saying: “What a long way in five years! From rookie hours qualifying to Top 10 gold medal and now seeded here. Amazing.”

The Wuhan Open is coming back, and Zheng Qinwen is rising: was it the perfect timing?
I think it is. It’s like a moment. Young girls and boys screaming, older people screaming… She really connects across a wide age group, and you can feel her pride in being the hometown girl and being from China.

Were you expecting the effect to be at this level?
No. I thought that’d be big, but I maybe had a clue when I was told that during her gold medal quest, she had 4 billion hits on social media. Just by watching, you can feel the energy, with the roar of the crowd: that connection and the timing of that gold medal, which is recent. She was the perfect queen to welcome Wuhan back.

Have you seen the consequences on the business?
Yes, absolutely. When we announced the return of Wuhan, it was just around the time of the Olympics, and many press wanted to come, and potential sponsors were asking how they could be a part of it; all of this was interesting. And the ticket sales, too, for sure. In 2019, we had a full house on three different occasions, but not that level of electricity.

How can you best use the Qinwen mania now for tennis here?
She seems to have that Chinese following in various places. It’s been a long time spoken about with Li Na. When covid hits, any direction where it was going hit a roadblock, and then Shenzhen not being there, and then Wuhan not being here last year, the WTA Elite Trophy going away… Now, this is lifting it back up.

There was a lot of pressure this year to get the tournament back, so I guess Qinwen helped in that sense, too…
We’re hoping she says healthy! It was definitely a very compressed five months, whereas normally, it would be eleven to twelve. But that’s been a massive breath of fresh air after five years. And who would have guessed that we’d have a Li Na and a Zheng Qinwen from here? That’s an amazing connection.

QUESTION OF THE DAY 
Will she?

You were 90,91% to think Novak Djokovic won't play a full schedule in 2025. Why? Sam thinks it’s because “he has lost motivation.”

BUSINESS / MEDIA 
Masters 1000 for sale?

It’s bigger than tennis. Wait, I thought nothing in that sport was bigger than the game? Not even Roger Federer? We’ve been lied to (again). So, what could currently be bigger than the Masters 1000 in Miami and Madrid? Their owner. It actually all started last April when Silver Lake announced it would take Endeavor (who owns IMG, who owns these two events) private. And? And to take it private, the deal with Silver Lake “included provisions related to the potential sale of certain businesses.” 

Now, a review is happening to see which asset should or should not be sold, and it seems tennis could be at the heart of it with the sale of the two Masters 1000. Why is it getting complicated for tennis? Because Endeavor has just sold IMG to TKO (after that deal, Endeavor would own 59% of TKO, so it all stays in the family), but tennis isn’t included in the deal. So tennis remains here to be potentially sold by Endeavor. So you see, it’s way bigger than tennis. Is it a good sign for tennis? If the product was that attractive, would it be getting sold? Or is the product so attractive that it’s the prettiest dress to sell?

Give all the money to Australia and New Zealand, they said! Kinda. It’s not all the money, but it’s still $1,5 billion that will be injected into both countries via the Avenue Sports Opportunities Fund launched by Avenue Capital Group and GAM. An initiative that comes with some sports VIP names in the package: Stephen Curry, Harry Kane, and Candace Parker.

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO 
An old debate and a game-changer

• Felix Auger-Aliassime’s injury came at the right time to highlight what Dominic Thiem was just denouncing. And what’s been an old debate in tennis is coming back to light this year again after the list of injured players - of all ages - seemed to be getting longer by the day. The Canadian injured his back in Basel and so withdrew from the last Masters 1000 event of the year in Paris. Around the same time, newly retired Dominic Thiem blasted tennis for damaging players’ bodies: “I think the way we do the sport, it’s not healthy, and at one point, one part or more parts of the body break down,” he said, also admitting that he had been a victim of it all. “That’s the way I grew up, this training style with a lot of intensity and really giving it 100% every single shot,” he says. “That was physically very demanding. And also, from a very early age, I got used to high-volume practice, practising like three four hours straight, or three hours twice [a day].” In Paris this Monday for the first day of the main draw of the last Masters 1000 of the year, Tomas Machac retired in the first match of the day (Achille) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina withdrew before his match (back injury).
  

• Again, someone telling you AI has been and will continue to be a game-changer. Well, we’ll see! But in sports, AI definitely already had a pretty big impact, and this piece explains how AI has enhanced the athlete. “One significant contribution of AI in sports is its ability to enhance athletes’ performance through data-driven insights and personalised training regimes. Machine learning algorithms analyse vast amounts of data, including player statistics, biomechanical measurements, and performance metrics to identify patterns and trends that can inform training strategies and optimise athletic potential. For example, AI-powered wearable devices and sensor technology enable real-time monitoring of athletes’ physical effort, movement, patterns, and biomechanical efficiency. This data can be examined to strategically offer athletes performance insights and personalise training plans to improve specific metrics. After all, the smallest improvement can make all the difference.”

SOME BREAK POINTS… 
Remember The Name

• New French wonder Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard adds a new layer to the theory that he might be the real deal. He struggled after his fourth round in Wimbledon but made a wow impression last week in Basel. With wins over Felix-Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Holger Rune, or Ben Shelton in the final, the 21-year-old, coached by experienced Emmanuel Planque, became the lowest-ranked champion (50) in Basel’s tournament history. That serve, indoor, is the source of all his rivals’s nightmares. He’s now 31 in the ranking after this first ATP 500 title, after clinching his first ATP 250 in Lyon this year.

• It was the week of the young and hopeful as Jack Draper (22) left Vienna with the trophy for the biggest win of his career. Like the French, it’s his second title in career, after Stuttgart this year, and he’s now ranked 16.

• On the WTA, Olga Danilovic (23) won the second title of her career by beating Caroline Dolehide in Guangzhou. It had been six years since her first title.

• Matteo Berretini and Francisco Roig, who used to be on Rafael Nadal’s team, are no longer working together after ten months of collaboration.

EDITOR’S PICKS 

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READ: I’m putting that on top of my To Be Read list pile. “Didion and Babitz,” by Lili Anolik. A book about these glorious nemeses? Take My Money.

WATCH: I’ve finally finished the last season of the Umbrella Academy, and that was definitely a great ride! I didn’t expect that ending, and I’ll admit I shed a tear. I’ve started Midnight Mass on Netflix, and I am slightly terrified but greatly entertained.