Zheng Qinwen navigates serving woes ahead of Iga Swiatek challenge in Cincinnati

FLASHBACK: Get to know Zheng Qinwen as she began her rise up the WTA rankings.

CINCINNATI, Ohio—Insiders have long agreed: Zheng Qinwen is going places.

The 20-year-old first served notice when she stunned former world No. 1 Simona Halep at 2022 Roland Garros; just over a year later, the big-hitting Chinese youngster was serving tea—as presaged by her Nike top—in sharing the pitfalls of her sophomore season on the WTA circuit.

“I think one of the challenges for me is to get through these top players,” she told me ahead of her Western & Southern Open clash with top seed Iga Swiatek. “I know I have the level, but I have to perform and show up. It’s still a challenge for me, but I really want to pass it.”

Zheng speaks with a speed and confidence that befits one the tennis world considers Most Likely to Succeed, without a world-weariness that may tinge her text the more time she spends on tour. Born in Shiyan, less than five hours from Wuhan—the birthplace of Chinese tennis pioneer Li Na—she presently owns a 3-6 record against Top 10 players, her most recent win coming over Daria Kasatkina in Abu Dhabi. With a second WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and first WTA title in Palermo helping her earn a career-high ranking of No. 19, many were further convinced by her inevitable ascent when she hired coach Wim Fissette.

Former coach to four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, Fissette has worked with a veritable who’s who of the last decade, including Halep, Kim Clijsters, Angelique Kerber, and Victoria Azarenka.

I’m always trying to find the balance between playing aggressive and consistent, because I think that’s the challenge for all tennis players. When you get the balance, you know when to defend and get the ball back, and also when to step in and attack the net. I’m still trying to find that. Zheng Qinwen

“One of the things he told me and educated me a lot about is that I always have to believe in myself as an aggressive player,” said Zheng after she rallied from a set down to defeat five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1. “I can’t be waiting for the other one to miss because that’s not the right mentality.

“Of course, sometimes, the opponent will miss and give you some matches, but if you want to reach the faraway goal, you have to build your game and really try and become as aggressive as the top players. They’re all really good defenders but can also really attack; they’re complete players.”

It was under Fissette that Azarenka developed a more exaggerated serve motion, pausing before her toss in a way that wasn’t especially aesthetic but remarkably effective. During their partnership, the two-time Australian Open champion rediscovered some of her best form and captured the Sunshine Double in 2016.

Zheng, whose powerful delivery already has a slight hitch before ball meets racquet, appeared to have learned the same lesson in Cincinnati, but she worrying revealed that this new hitch was is entirely involuntary.

“I’m trying to change that, because that’s not the right way,” she confirmed on Wednesday. “My serve motion has to be more fluid because I don’t want to do it like that. I don’t know why it is just coming out in the match. I’m trying to fix this problem.

“Maybe it’s happening because I put too much tape and my blood is not flowing. Just joke!” she added with bright smile. “I’m really trying to find the problem so I can work on it and stop this stopping. I really don’t like it; it’s not what I want and it’s not how it should be. I really believe my serve has to change because if I want to have a better serve and level, I’ll have to grasp that.”

Though she served just under 50% against Venus, Zheng managed a solid 72% of points behind her first serve and didn’t allow the illustrious American a break of serve after an admittedly nervy start found her behind by a set and 2-0.

“Honestly, Venus is such a successful player with a lot of Grand Slams in her hands,” she said with all reverence. “Between me and her, there are many generations, not just one. I think there are two, three, or even four. She’s a great player, and I’m super respectful of how, at her age, she is still competing in our sport.

“She played to the end even though, of course, the body is different at 40 years old than when you are 20. I have a lot of respect for her on court, so it was really difficult, honestly, mentally to play her. I tried to tell myself to be more calm in the second set, and just looking at her like a tennis player and not everything that she is, or what she did in the past. It’s just me and her, tennis player against tennis player and face the battle.”

If you want to reach the faraway goal, you have to build your game and really try and become as aggressive as the top players. They’re all really good defenders but can also really attack; they’re complete players. Zheng Qinwen

Another battle awaits for Zheng, who has twice taken Swiatek to three sets but hopes a more aggressive resolve will help make her own luck in Mason.

“The first two matches were a little bit tricky,” she recalled. “At the French Open, I was on the first day of my period, so I can’t count that. I couldn’t give my best there. The second one, I twisted my ankle in qualies.

“The last one in Stuttgart was a real battle. I was totally fine and I remember in that match, I had some chances in the second set but she’s there, so obviously strong, mentally. I’m always trying to find the balance between playing aggressive and consistent, because I think that’s the challenge for all tennis players. When you get the balance, you know when to defend and get the ball back, and also when to step in and attack the net.”

Between her innate physical gifts and formidable team, few doubt she will invariably strike that balance, but in the opinion of this insider: allow Zheng the time she still needs to find it.