China’s tennis players deliver historic performance at Paris 2024
By Ryan General
China’s tennis players impressed at the 2024 Olympics, achieving their best-ever results in both women’s singles and mixed doubles. Zheng Qinwen won China’s second Olympic tennis gold medal and first-ever gold medal in women’s singles, defeating Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 on Saturday. Zhang Zhizhen and Wang Xinyu secured a silver medal in the mixed doubles on Friday, narrowly losing a thrilling three-set match to the Czech Republic.
- Inspired by Li Na: Zheng’s historic victory took place on the same court where her idol, Li Na, became China’s first Grand Slam champion in 2011. “I feel my country will be proud of me, I’m proud of myself,” she said. “My family are at home, I’m sure they are screaming at the TV. I just fight every match. I have a special energy playing for my country. I never give up.”
- Hard-fought silver: The mixed doubles team, formed last-minute, expressed pride in their achievements and hope to inspire a new generation of Chinese tennis fans. Wang said: “At this moment, I feel grateful for being a tennis player. Ten years, or 15 years ago, not so many people knew about this sport. I am super happy about this progress.”
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