Zheng Qinwen’s coach Pere Riba believes his charge has only reached “60%” of her potential after a breakthrough season for the Chinese star.

The 22-year-old faces Coco Gauff in the WTA Finals championship match on Saturday, looking to win the title on her tournament debut.

2024 has seen Qinwen reach her first major final at the Australian Open and her first WTA 1000 final in Wuhan, while she struck gold at the Olympics – and won further titles in Palermo and Tokyo.

The Chinese entered the WTA Finals as the world No 7 but is guaranteed to be ranked at least fifth on Monday, and will be the world No 4 if she wins Saturday’s final.

Qinwen’s recent rise has been spearheaded by coach Riba, who returned to her team ahead of 2024 after previously working with her from 2012 to mid-2023.

Speaking to The National amid Qinwen’s WTA Finals campaign, Riba was asked if he felt the Chinese could contend for the world No 1 ranking in the near future.

While conceding it would be tough, he claimed that there was still more to come from his charge in 2025.

He said: “Look, I don’t like to talk too much about the other players.

“But of course, if you analyse, we can see that this year, Aryna and Iga, they are fighting there, it’s like a little bit more up from the other ones.

“But there are three, four, five players that if they are working good, working in the right way, they can enter [the conversation], and they can fight to take the spot.

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“Especially because there are young players coming up that are really good. And I have a lot of confidence in Qinwen, because she has the tools, she has the weapons, every month is better.

“I don’t see that she’s at the top of her potential. To be honest, I think she is at 60% of what she can be. And this gives me a lot of confidence that she’s going to be one day there, I really believe that.”

Alongside her run to the Australian Open final, Qinwen was also a US Open quarter-finalist – though fell early at the French Open and Wimbledon.

However, her ranking means she is well-placed to contend for a Grand Slam title in 2025, and potentially follow in Li Na’s footsteps by becoming the second Chinese major winner.

And Riba believes that the 22-year-old has “realistic options” to win a Grand Slam in the future.

“She has a great heart. When you know her – because you have to know the people – she’s an amazing person, she has a great heart,” added Riba.

“But of course, when she enters the court, me I have a lot of fights with her on court, because she is really ambitious.

“If she continues improving and given the way she is doing the things, me I’m optimistic, and of course, it’s always complicated these goals, but she will arrive with realistic options to win a Grand Slam.

“It can happen or cannot happen, because many players are fighting for the same thing but she will arrive with the tennis and with the fitness and with all the things that she will be capable to do it.”

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