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The Paris Olympic Games are over, leaving Zheng Qinwen with not much time to rest. Currently, the Paris Olympic women's singles tennis champion has arrived in the United States to prepare for the upcoming North American season. The 2024 US Open will be held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from August 26 to September 8. For Zheng Qinwen, who is currently ranked 7th in the world, this competition is not only an important opportunity to improve points, maintain the current ranking, and strive to enter the year-end finals, but also the best opportunity to seek further breakthroughs in the Grand Slam arena with the momentum of winning the Olympic gold medal.

The Olympics is not only a sports competition, but also a social event that has attracted worldwide attention. From the perspective of the psychological tendency of the general public, stories that make a big splash have a wider audience, and Zheng Qinwen's experience in Paris meets this standard. Although she is no longer a young player as she has already entered the top 10 in the world, her name is still fresh and vivid to many viewers who have not been paying attention to tennis for a long time. Therefore, when the Roland Garros clay court witnessed the birth of China's first Olympic tennis singles champion, Zheng Qinwen became synonymous with legend.

The 21-year-old girl has won more than just a gold medal. In terms of commercial value, her total income reached 7.2 million US dollars last year, and this year she has received more commercial endorsements, and her total income is expected to continue to rise. In terms of social influence, her role on the international stage has attracted more and more attention. As a representative of the "post-00s" Chinese youth group, her mature and rational conversation has also made the international community have a more comprehensive understanding of China. It is also necessary to pay attention to her role in promoting tennis in China. Relevant data show that after Zheng Qinwen won the championship, the sales of tennis-related products continued to increase, and the reservation rate for the use of tennis venues also increased. If Li Na's victory in the Australian Open 13 years ago triggered the first wave of "tennis fever" in China, then Zheng Qinwen's gold medal in this Olympics is expected to set off a second wave of tennis promotion and popularization.

Of course, many more netizens have focused on her path to success: the 20 million yuan training fee and her signing with an internationally renowned agency at an early age have made her distinctly different from ordinary young contestants. This difference is attractive to enthusiastic parents and children to a certain extent. After all, there are thousands of ways to success, and imitation is the most cost-effective shortcut.

However, when we pay too much attention to Zheng Qinwen’s uniqueness, it is also very easy to overlook her ordinariness and true “specialness”.

Zheng Qinwen is ordinary because she also gets angry, sometimes because of her own performance, sometimes because of her opponents, and sometimes because of the audience's impoliteness. Zheng Qinwen is ordinary because she has too much pressure from her parents on her growth path. When modern parenting talks about the cultivation of "self-drive", some parts of Zheng Qinwen's story do not seem to match. Zheng Qinwen is ordinary because she also has an imperfect side. Although she likes to sing, her singing level really needs to be improved...

When we see these, Zheng Qinwen is no longer magical, and her true "specialness" is revealed.

The 20 million yuan training fee is quite staggering, but this fee is not paid overnight. It is the necessary financial support after her ability reaches a certain level. But to achieve this achievement, she must make extraordinary efforts.

After his strength has been recognized by the industry, signing with an agency will be a natural outcome. After all, no one will want to miss out on a dazzling rising star.

Of course, Zheng Qinwen has always been accompanied by the distinctive background of this era. The successful hosting of the Beijing Olympics has given rise to the sports dream in the hearts of the general public. Li Na's history-making performance at the French Open has provided a growth model for more children. Social reform and openness have promoted the popularity of tennis, a traditional European and American sport, in China... When these factors are intertwined, they provide a foundation for Zheng Qinwen's transformation.

A talented and hardworking athlete, in the process of continuous struggle, has achieved brilliant results and the favor of the times, and is expected to gain more in the future. If Zheng Qinwen's story is simplified, this description may be closer.

When we realize this, imitating Zheng Qinwen becomes a false proposition. Talent and hard work are more valuable than 20 million, and the support of the times is more powerful than the agency. Zheng Qinwen did not choose the path taken by her idol Li Na, so why should future generations be obsessed with imitating her?

In the article published in People's Daily, Zheng Qinwen titled her story - "Big dreams can only be achieved through persistence", which is telling everyone that "persistence" is the secret to her realizing her dreams.

Li Na is unique, Zheng Qinwen is unique, they are unique because of their specialness. It is more important to understand their stories than to copy their experiences. Only by truly understanding the road to legend can we have the real motivation to become a legend.

Reporter: Hou Chao Editor: Li Fujie Photographer: Xinhua News Agency Proofreader: Li Li