news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

Author: Yi Jiaying

Editor: Zhu Yimin

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

Making history! 21-year-old "Rocket Girl" Zheng Qinwen won the Olympic women's singles tennis gold medal!

The opponent was beaten to the point of losing his balance and threw his racket in anger!

"Since I was a child, I wanted to be someone who made history, and I have been working hard on this path."

As Zheng Qinwen herself said, "making history", she did it.On the evening of August 3rd, Beijing time, Zheng Qinwen won two consecutive sets with scores of 6-2, 6-3, defeating Croatian player Vikic with a total score of 2-0, winning the women's singles championship at the Paris Olympics and creating history in Chinese tennis.

In the crucial 8th game, Zheng Qinwen attacked continuously and got 2 break points. His opponent Vikic was hit so hard that he lost his balance and threw his racket in anger.

Before the game, Zheng Qinwen said firmly, "I know the battle is not over yet. Although I have achieved a breakthrough today, I don't want to stop here.I don't know what will happen in the final, but I promise to fight till the very end.!”

Zheng Qinwen's difficult road to qualifying for the Paris Olympics Source: Paris 2024

In the first set of the final, Zheng Qinwen broke his opponent's serve twice and took the lead 6-2. In the second set, Zheng Qinwen took the lead, then tied the score. The two sides continued to fight, and Zheng Qinwen finally defeated his opponent 6-3, winning the game with a total score of 2-0 and winning the gold medal.

Zheng Qinwen did her best and finally fulfilled her promise to herself and realized her dream of winning the Olympic gold medal.

When he was 10 years old, Zheng Qinwen was given an English nickname "Fire" by his coach because of his powerful and offensive style of play. In 2020, the 17-year-old Zheng Qinwen embarked on his professional journey.In just two years, they made it into the top eight of the US Open and Australian Open, becoming the well-deserved "Rocket Girls".In January this year, Zheng Qinwen won the Australian Open women's singles runner-up, becoming the second Chinese player after Li Na to advance to the Grand Slam singles final.

In the women's singles semifinals of the Olympic Games, Zheng Qinwen even surpassed the top seed and four-time French Open champion Swiatek. On the clay court where her opponent is best, with an embarrassing record of losing all six encounters, she still chose to believe in herself.Zheng Qinwen said that his strength and willpower have made a breakthrough, breaking through the previous obstacles in his mind, and he is "proud of himself."

Zheng Qinwen fell to the ground to celebrate after winning the semi-finals. Source: Weibo @郑秦文Ana

In this Olympics, Zheng Qinwen competed as the No. 6 seed in the women's singles and encountered a series of tough battles.

Before the semi-finals, Zheng Qinwen had been fighting for a total of nearly 7 hours in two days. She returned to the stage after only 19 hours of rest. Her physical strength and willpower are admirable.

That semi-final was also described by herself as "the most difficult match for me mentally." Zheng Qinwen said,I played smarter than ever before. And I was determined. I didn't want to let the match go to the final set. I just wanted to fight for every point. I knew if I wanted, I could have fought for my country for another two hours.”

The first set took 39 minutes, and Zheng Qinwen won the first game 6-2. In the second set, Swiatek won 4 games in a row and took the initiative.

When the audience began to cheer for Swiatek, Zheng Qinwen converted break points in two consecutive games and successfully held serve in the stalemate to tie the score.

Zheng Qinwen showed tenacious performance and won his first career victory against Swiatek with a score of 2-0.

The next Li Na?

"Swiatek has beaten me six times and won the French Open four times.I beat her on her best surface and in the most important tournament, which means a lot to me."After advancing to the finals, Zheng Qinwen lay on the court and shouted out his excitement. "I finally have the chance to win a medal for China. I have been looking forward to this day."

This scene can't help but remind me of,Thirteen years ago, after Li Na won her first Grand Slam at the 2011 French Open, she also expressed herself by falling to the ground in celebration.

Zheng Qinwen (left) and Li Na took a photo together. Image source: Weibo screenshot

Zheng Qinwen has always taken Li Na as her role model. She once said, "I watched her competition on TV and imagined that one day I could be like her. To me, she is a beacon that illuminates my path."

Zheng Qinwen, who is also from Hubei, has a deep connection with Li Na.Zheng Qinwen showed her athletic talent at the age of 6 and began her tennis career. Her early coaches included Xia Xiyao, Li Na's first coach, and Carlos, who later taught her at Beijing Jingxinzhilun Tennis School. Both of them were Li Na's former mentors. But when asked if she could become the "second Li Na" in the future, Zheng Qinwen once said that everyone's growth path is different, and there is no need to say who is the next one, as everyone is unique.

This time, Zheng Qinwen surpassed her senior sister Li Na and became the first Asian player to enter the Olympic singles final and win the championship.Fortunately, I surpassed Na Jie in the Olympic Games and broke through history. In fact, since I was a child, I have always wanted to be someone who breaks through history, and I have been working hard on this path.. "Zheng Qinwen updated his social media after the game and wrote, "Belief is power!"

I have been eating chicken breast and broccoli for 360 days! I have sacrificed a lot for tennis.

In January this year, when Zheng Qinwen won her first Grand Slam singles runner-up, her father Zheng Jianping said that the Australian Open runner-up was just a new starting point for Zheng Qinwen. He believed that his daughter still had a lot of room for improvement and the peak of her tennis career was still to come.

The words are still fresh in my mind, and this Olympic medal is undoubtedly the best proof. Every point on the field is the result of ten years of hard work off the field.For 360 days, Zheng Qinwen insisted on eating chicken breast and broccoli。

"In my impression, Zheng Qinwen never eats snacks or drinks." Zheng Qinwen's first coach Chen Hongming once recalled, "To be honest, I feel a little sorry for her.For tennis, she sacrificed a lot of happy childhood. This kid never slacked off during practice. He was always the first one on the court and the last one to leave.”

Zheng Jianping is his daughter's guide, and also her earliest nutritionist, rehabilitation therapist and coach. He once said in an interview that although he was very young when he started playing tennis,Zheng Qinwen has never been lazy. Tennis is a high-intensity sport, and Zheng Qinwen's childhood was basically spent falling and getting injured again and again.。

"There is almost no furniture in the living room"! The whole family supports Zheng Qinwen's racket training

Zheng Qinwen's family gave her all their support in every way. In order to allow young Zheng Qinwen to train better, the TV in her living room was moved away.There is almost no furniture in the living room, so she can practice swinging at home at any time."They have been gritting their teeth and insisting on funding me to play tennis, so I was under pressure at that time, hoping that I could play better." Zheng Qinwen once revealed that his parents' efforts were both pressure and motivation for progress. "My parents also sold their car to support me to continue playing tennis, but I didn't know about this at that time."

Zheng Qinwen went to Wuhan for training since he was young, and later went to Beijing. When he was 14 years old,She went to Europe and the United States to study alone."My child never celebrated Chinese New Year or any other festivals. The place where we met most was the airport. We met at the airport, hugged each other, and then flew away." Zheng Jianping said with emotion, "We did everything possible to create conditions for her to practice tennis with peace of mind. It was actually very hard along the way."

Hand GripNike, Rolex, Lancome and other at least 10 brands sponsor! Zheng Qinwen's commercial value exposed

This final, this historic breakthrough, not only attracted the attention of the fans, but also touched the hearts of sponsors.

"The further an athlete can last in the competition, the better the results he or she will achieve. For brands, there will be more marketing and activation scenarios. It is really amazing that Zheng Qinwen can make it all the way to the finals," an industry insider commented."From another perspective, the twists and turns in the game, from falling behind to tying and then to a comeback, are often more surprising and there are more stories to tell. This wave is also profitable for the brand."

Before the Olympics, in April this year, the new tea brand Bawang Cha Ji officially announced that Zheng Qinwen would serve as the "Health Ambassador", creating the first sports marketing case in the tea beverage track.As one of the most popular new generation athletes, Zheng Qinwen has a distinct personality and has many commercial endorsements.Earlier, in 2022, when the potential was just beginning to emerge, Ant Group had already signed 19-year-old Zheng Qinwen as the brand's "Light Chasing Ambassador". According to media statistics,Since 2022, Zheng Qinwen has successively won cooperation with many brands including Yili, Gatorade, and Swish.

In fact, as early as when I was 13 years old,Zheng Qinwen got a jersey sponsorship contract from Nike. Nike even made an exception for her and allowed her to print the logos of other sponsors on her jerseys. In the past two years, Zheng Qinwen has also won the sponsorship contracts of Rolex, Lancome and other brands.。

Image source: Promotional image released by Nike

Image source: Screenshot of Zheng Qinwen’s Weibo

"no doubt,If we rank the current commercial value of domestic female athletes, there is no doubt that Zheng Qinwen is one of the best."Sports career planner and sports agent Fu Nengliang said in an interview with a reporter from 21st Century Business Herald,"Another advantage is that she has strong expressive ability and can tell a good story, which is a rare asset."

Sponsorship income in 2023 is nearly 40 million yuan

In the list of the highest-paid female athletes in sports in 2023 released by Forbes magazine,Zheng Qinwen ranked 15th with $1.7 million in prize money and $5.5 million (nearly 40 million RMB) in sponsorship income., together with Gu Ailing, they became the only two Chinese athletes to enter the top 20.

She is also the first Chinese female tennis player to enter the Forbes income list after Li Na.Previously, Li Na had been ranked third on the Forbes list of female athletes with an income of $18.2 million, including $15 million from commercial income.Zheng Qinwen, who broke the record for Chinese women's singles tennis, may have even higher commercial value.

Source: Incomplete statistics from the National Business Daily

"Tennis has events all year round, which means year-round exposure for brands, not just the Olympic Games every four years, but all year round." Zhang Zizhu, partner of Beijing Xinle Brand Planning Co., Ltd., pointed out, "The target audience of tennis often has a certain economic foundation, and some brands with high customer unit prices will prefer it."

As one of the three major commercial ball sports in the world, tennis has maintained a high popularity of competitions around the world. According to ITF (International Tennis Federation) data, China's tennis population has reached 19.92 million, second only to the United States. Including Zheng Qinwen, more and more Chinese tennis players have emerged in world-class competitions, which has also increased the attention of this sport in China.

In this regard, Fu Nengliang further added, “Tennis has a high level of professionalism, and the overall talent system and commercialization are also higher."It is worth mentioning that the agency behind Zheng Qinwen is IMG, which has signed Federer, Nadal, Serena Williams, and Li Na.

"It is undeniable that international agencies have been working in the sports industry for a longer time. They not only have experience but also customer resources. They are undoubtedly more mature in the commercial development of athletes." Zhang Zizhu said frankly, "But athletes also need to be able to manage themselves. Mature brands value the consistency between the sports core and the brand spirit conveyed by athletes, not just their performance."