Qinwen Zheng has produced one of the US Open’s biggest surprises, overcoming an astonishing 5-0 deficit against Iga Swiatek to turn a seemingly lost opening set into an unforgettable comeback victory.
The Chinese star’s latest escape was especially remarkable because she had pulled off a similar turnaround just days earlier. This time, however, the opponent was former world number one Swiatek.
What followed became another defining moment for Zheng, who continued her remarkable tournament journey while sending a major champion home. Her extraordinary resilience has made her quarterfinal run impossible to ignore.
Zheng stuns Swiatek again at the US Open
Zheng Qinwen shocked Iga Swiatek at the US Open. She trailed 5-0 in the first set before storming back to win it cleanly. It marked her second straight comeback of that kind this same week.
Swiatek raced out fast and looked in total control during the early exchanges on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Then something shifted. Zheng found her range and rhythm again, and the match flipped hard in her favor quickly.
A familiar comeback from 5-0 down
Zheng had already pulled off a similar escape this week against American Madison Keys in the third round. She trailed badly in a deciding set, saved a match point, and won seven straight games to survive.
Against Swiatek, she somehow managed to do it again just two days later. Down 5-0 in the opener again, she saved three set points and won seven straight games to steal the opening set.
Two matches, two five-love deficits, and two stunning escapes in one week. It is rare enough to pull off once at a major. Doing it back-to-back shows real mental toughness under pressure.
From a lowly qualifier to a quarterfinalist
Zheng was not among the leading title favorites when the tournament began. After undergoing surgery on her right elbow in July 2025 and enduring an uneven return in 2026, she fell outside the top 100 and entered the US Open ranked No. 121.
She won 3 qualifying matches to earn a place in the main draw at Flushing Meadows. Her run continued with victories over Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek, both of whom had won Grand Slam singles titles.
The reigning Olympic singles gold medalist has now reached her 3rd US Open quarterfinal. Her return to the last 8 has become one of the tournament’s most notable comeback stories.
Zheng ends Swiatek’s unbeaten major record against qualifiers
Zheng became the first qualifier or lucky loser to defeat Swiatek in a Grand Slam match. Before their meeting at the 2026 US Open, Swiatek held a 15-0 record against qualifiers and lucky losers at major tournaments.
Zheng ended that unbeaten record by recovering from a 5-0 first-set deficit and completing a 7-5, 6-3 victory. It was her 2nd career win over Swiatek.
The result improved Zheng’s head-to-head record against Swiatek to 2-7. Her other victory came in the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Echoes of Emma Raducanu’s famous run
Emma Raducanu once famously stunned the entire tennis world as a lowly qualifier at the US Open years ago. She went all the way through the draw and won the title back in 2021.
Zheng is now the first female qualifier since that famous Raducanu run to reach the US Open quarterfinals. The comparison certainly feels unavoidable, given how rare this particular feat truly is.
Nobody else had matched that remarkable qualifying run this deep into the women’s singles tournament until Zheng suddenly arrived on the scene this September at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Head-to-head still favors Swiatek
Despite this impressive win, tennis history still leans heavily toward Swiatek overall between the two rivals. Zheng has only beaten her twice in 9 meetings so far in their professional careers.
Her lone previous win over Swiatek came at the 2024 Paris Olympics semifinal on her way to the final. Zheng used that big win to eventually capture the gold medal in singles that same tournament.
This latest victory adds yet another huge scalp on one of the sport’s truly biggest stages. Both career victories over Swiatek have now come at major global events, never at smaller regular tour level stops.
What comes next for Zheng Qinwen
Zheng is scheduled to face No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina in the US Open quarterfinals on September 9. Rybakina reached the last 8 by defeating 2-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4.
This is Zheng’s 3rd US Open quarterfinal and 5th Grand Slam quarterfinal overall. A victory would send her into the US Open semifinals for the first time.
Rybakina has one of the strongest serves in women’s tennis and reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set. Zheng will need another composed performance to continue her run in New York.
Little-known fact: Zheng left home for a tennis academy 250 miles away at just eight years old, believing the trip was only temporary. She only learned after her very first practice session that she would not be returning home right away.
Why this winning streak feels different
What makes this entire run feel special is the mental resilience on constant display all week long. Twice within one single week, Zheng faced an early disaster and simply refused to accept the obvious losing outcome.
Former player Daniela Hantuchova said Zheng now looks dangerous for the rest of the field. Watching a rattled Swiatek struggle for real answers on court only adds to that growing belief among tennis experts.
TL;DR
- Zheng Qinwen beat Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 after trailing 5-0 in the first set.
- It was her second straight match this week with a comeback from 5-0 down, having also rallied past Madison Keys.
- Zheng entered the US Open as a qualifier after elbow surgery dropped her to world No. 121.
- She became the first qualifier to ever beat Swiatek at a Grand Slam.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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