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"What is your aspiration?"

"I hope to win a Grand Slam title. If I have the chance, I can win glory for my country at the Olympics."

Zheng Qinwen said this in an interview with CCTV at the beginning of this year.

Half a year later, on August 1, 2024, in the women's singles semi-finals of the Paris Olympics tennis, Zheng Qinwen defeated the world's number one Polish star Swiatek and advanced to the final.

Screenshot of Zheng Qinwen's post after winning the gold medal

On August 3, Zheng Qinwen won the women's singles final of the Paris Olympics, defeating Croatian tennis player Vikic in straight sets and winning the gold medal. This is the first gold medal in the history of Chinese women's singles tennis in the Olympics. On domestic social platforms, Zheng Qinwen directly triggered hot searches, and the discussion about her was no less heated than that of Li Na's entry into the Australian Open that year, and also attracted the attention of many sponsors.

In the Forbes 2023 Global Female Athlete Income List, Zheng Qinwen ranked 15th, with $1.7 million in prize money and $5.5 million in sponsorship income (nearly 40 million RMB), becoming the only two Chinese athletes to enter the top 20 with Gu Ailing. She is also the first Chinese female tennis player to enter the Forbes income list after Li Na. Previously, Li Na ranked third in the Forbes female athlete income list with an income of $18.2 million, of which commercial income was as high as $15 million.

On August 4, the topic #Zheng Qinwen earned $7.2 million last year# sparked heated discussions. Many netizens commented, "She deserves it, come on" and "Let her earn it."

Netizens say that Zheng Qinwen deserves the $7.2 million income

Zheng Qinwen was born in Shiyan, Hubei in October 2002. Her father, Zheng Jianping, was a track and field athlete. Zheng Qinwen's family atmosphere made her familiar with sports. Zheng Qinwen participated in running, table tennis, basketball and other sports when she was a child, but she eventually chose tennis. Zheng Qinwen officially came into contact with tennis at the age of 6 and began training, with a three-hour training time every day. Zheng Qinwen is an offensive player with a domineering and tough playing style. She also has a fiery personality, so she has a nickname Fire.

Zheng Qinwen's professional career began in 2013. At her father's strong suggestion, she signed up for an open tournament for young tennis players around the world held by IMG Academy. IMG Academy is a famous training base that has trained many tennis stars. IMG is one of the world's largest and most extensive sports entertainment marketing management companies. Famous tennis players such as Federer, Nadal and Li Na, the first Asian to win a Grand Slam women's singles championship, have signed contracts with IMG.

Zheng Qinwen made a big splash in this open tournament and successfully signed a contract with IMG. At the age of 11, Zheng Qinwen began his career as a professional tennis player. At the age of 13, Nike began to become Zheng Qinwen's sponsor.

Zheng Qinwen wearing branded clothing

In August 2020, Zheng Qinwen officially embarked on the journey of a professional player, and her world ranking was 630th at the beginning. In the following year or so, Zheng Qinwen participated in nearly 30 competitions. In the 2021 season, she won the W25 Hamburg Station in Germany, the W60 Czech Station, and the W25 Funchal Station in Portugal. In 2022, Zheng Qinwen advanced to the top 16 in her first French Open and was elected the WTA Newcomer of the Year in the 2022 season. As a result, Zheng Qinwen's commercial value skyrocketed.

In February this year, Zheng Qinwen won the runner-up in the Australian Open. In April, Bawang Tea Princess officially announced that Zheng Qinwen became the brand's first "health ambassador". As of now, according to incomplete statistics from the National Business Daily, Zheng Qinwen has at least 10 brand sponsorships: Nike, Alipay, Rolex, Wilson, Swisher, McDonald's, Yili, Gatorade, Bawang Tea Princess, Lancome, etc.

Zheng Qinwen endorses tea drinks

It is not difficult to foresee that Zheng Qinwen, who has set a new record for Chinese women's tennis singles, may have a higher commercial value. According to a comprehensive report by China Business News, industry insiders believe that Zheng Qinwen's money-making power is far more than this. Some netizens speculate that after Zheng Qinwen wins the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, her income may surpass Gu Ailing, and even surpass Li Na at her peak. Media reports also show that industry insiders said that Zheng Qinwen has become an international sports superstar. And it is very likely that she has become the Chinese athlete with the highest commercial value at this stage.

In addition, Zeng Wenli, a professor at the Guangzhou Sport Institute, told the Daily Economic News, "In recent years, brand sponsorship activities have shown signs of favoring athletes, especially female athletes." Zeng Wenli said that the athletes' spirit of hard work, perseverance, self-discipline and focus is also a very important element that brands need to use to enhance their own value.

Source: Beijing Business Daily, CCTV News, National Business Daily, China Business News, 21st Century Business Herald