Zheng Qinwen in action during a training session on Sunday at the Diamond Court at the National Tennis Center in Beijing Photo: VCG

Chinese tennis fans are expecting the female Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen to deliver quality performances at the upcoming China Open in Beijing, as the annual tennis event kicks off on Monday.

Since winning the Olympic women’s singles gold medal, world No.7 Zheng has captured the spotlight in Chinese tennis.

Though the main draw has yet to be unveiled, Zheng, as a seeded player at the China Open, is possible to receive a bye in the first round and will play her opening match later this week.

Zheng’s goal for the Chinese season is clear: to earn as many ranking points as possible to improve her chances of qualifying for the WTA Finals.

To secure one of the eight spots in the WTA Finals, Zheng will need to perform well at the China Open (WTA 1000), Wuhan Open (WTA 1000), and Ningbo Open (WTA 500), as she currently sits at No.9 in the race to the Finals, trailing Emma Navarro and Danielle Collins by 498 and 108 points respectively. 

With Collins opting out of the China Open, Zheng has one less competitor in the fight for a coveted WTA Finals berth, a year after Zheng’s disappointing­ first-round exit at the China Open last year. 

Having returned to Beijing as early as Sunday to begin her preparations, Zheng’s early training highlights her determination to perform well throughout the China swing. Strong performances during the China swing could secure her first WTA Finals appearance.

In the singles draw, world No.1 Iga Swiatek and world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka have already secured their places at the WTA Finals, leaving six spots still available. Swiatek will not participate in the China Open.

In the men’s competition at the ­China Open, world top-three players Jannik Sinner of Italy, Alexander Zverev of Germany and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain are the marquee names of the list, with home favorites Zhang Zhizhen and Wu Yibing leading the Chinese squad’s charge at the ATP 500 event.

This year’s China Open singles ­qualifying rounds will take place on Monday and Tuesday, with the expanded 96-player singles main draw kicking off on Wednesday and Thursday.