Zheng Qinwen celebrates winning the women's singles semifinal tennis match against Iga Swiatek of Poland at the Paris Olympic Games on August 1, 2024. Photo: Li Hao/GT

On Thursday, China's tennis sensation Zheng Qinwen became the first Asian-born player to reach a singles final at the Olympics, as the sixth seed delivered a stunning performance to defeat world No.1 Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-2, 7-5, in the semifinal at the Paris Olympics.

Despite trailing Swiatek by four games in the second set, Zheng mounted a remarkable comeback to secure her place in the gold-medal final. Swiatek, who had been on a 25-match winning streak at Roland Garros for the past 1,149 days, was left reeling by Zheng's relentless attack.

Her victory over Swiatek marked her first win against the Polish player in their seven career meetings. 

Zheng's journey to the final has been nothing short of extraordinary. With a powerful performance, Zheng overcame the top seed after 1 hour and 50 minutes of play. 

Before meeting Swiatek, Zheng endured consecutive three-hour matches over the past two days, overcoming Emma Navarro of the US and former world No.1 Angelique Kerber of Germany. 

She had to withdraw from her mixed doubles match alongside Chinese male player Zhang Zhizhen to save energy for the singles. 

"It's just mental strength that holds me up. I am lacking sleep, super tired, and my body is at its limit. But at this tournament, there is this extra energy supporting me," Zheng said after the match. 

Zheng made headlines earlier in 2024 at the Australian Open, when she qualified for the final - an achievement only made by her predecessor and two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na. 

"I remember being exhausted at the Australian Open, feeling unable to push any further. Today, even though I am tired, I think I can push through. If you were to ask me to play three more hours for my country, I could do it again."

Zheng Qinwen celebrates winning the women's singles semifinal tennis match against Iga Swiatek of Poland at the Paris Olympic Games on August 1, 2024. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Zheng's performance was widely hailed on Chinese social media on Thursday, as fans say she has become the new inspiration for Chinese athletes. 

"After more than six hours of play in the previous two rounds, Zheng's execution in this match was impeccable. Her offensive and defensive strategies were well-balanced, and even when trailing 0-4 in the second set, she remained composed and fought back," Beijing-based tennis commentator Chen Chi told the Global Times. 

Zheng committed only 13 unforced errors, her fewest in recent matches, compared to Swiatek's 36 unforced errors.

"Throughout the match, Zheng played without any burden and with great precision. Her high-bouncing shots from both forehand and backhand sides disrupted Swiatek's rhythm. Her serves to the wide corners were of high quality, and her use of drop shots at crucial moments was highly effective," Chen noted.

Swiatek, the tournament favorite, has a stellar record at Roland Garros, having won her last 20 clay-court matches and boasting a 38-2 record at the venue, including four French Open titles in the past five years.

However, Zheng had consistently challenged Swiatek in their past encounters, taking her to three sets in half of their previous matches. Zheng was also the only player to take a set off Swiatek during her run to the 2022 French Open title. 

Zheng's ascent in the tennis world has been rapid. She broke into the top 10 in women's singles rankings this year, a significant leap from her ranking of 125 in 2021. 

Just over a week ago, she made a strategic decision to return to the clay courts of Palermo, successfully defending her title at the WTA 250 event, which kick-started her current winning form on clay.

Zheng's opponent in the final will be decided on Friday in a match between Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia and Donna Vekic of Croatia. The final is scheduled to be held on Saturday, where Zheng will aim to continue her historic run and bring home the gold for China.