Zheng Qinwen rallies past Swiatek at US Open
Zheng Qinwen erased a 5-0 deficit against Iga Swiatek to reach the US Open quarterfinals.
Zheng turns another deficit around
Zheng Qinwen reached the US Open quarterfinals after recovering from 5-0 down in the opening set against Iga Swiatek on Arthur Ashe Stadium. She refused to let the early deficit settle the contest. Her response changed the match, as she claimed thirteen of the next sixteen games to move through the draw.
It was a sharp reversal. Swiatek is Court Shark's No. 1 player and has gone 8-2 across her last ten completed matches. The Polish player arrived after winning in Toronto and making the Cincinnati semifinals, then reached the fourth round without losing a set. Zheng's return game eventually stopped that momentum.
The second set swings Zheng's way
Earlier, Zheng had escaped an equally deep hole against Madison Keys in the third round. Keys is ranked No. 17 and has a 4-6 record over her last ten completed matches. Zheng trailed by the same margin in the deciding set, then won seven straight games to earn her place in round four.
Swiatek held serve through the early part of the second set and received treatment on her left thigh during the match. Zheng found the key break with a hard backhand return, then broke again before completing a 7-5 6-3 victory. “The more matches I play, the more rhythm I have on court,” Zheng said. Her cleanest attacking tennis arrived after the difficult start.
A return after a difficult spell
Her New York run has altered the picture quickly. Zheng dropped outside the top 100 earlier this year while working back from elbow surgery in 2025. The Olympic champion and former world No. four had come to the tournament needing matches and arrived through three qualifying rounds.
That route now looks valuable. Zheng has won seven consecutive matches in New York, a stretch that has moved her close to the top 50 again. Each round has given her more time on the court, and her comeback against Swiatek showed she can absorb a poor opening without abandoning her patterns. The quarterfinal is another chance to build on that rhythm.
Osaka or Rybakina awaits
Next, Zheng will face either Naomi Osaka or Elena Rybakina. Her lone previous win over Swiatek came at the 2024 Olympics, although her overall record against the Pole was 2-8 before this meeting. She will learn the next opponent later on Monday, when Osaka meets the second seed Rybakina.
Osaka is ranked No. 603 and has gone 8-2 in her last ten completed matches. Elsewhere, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva reached the last eight after recovering from a set down against Anastasia Potapova. Potapova hurt her knee late in the contest, returned after treatment, and lost the remaining points of her service game. Andreeva will meet either Coco Gauff or Iva Jovic.
Court Shark win probabilities are statistical estimates, not advice. No outcome is guaranteed.
Methodology and sources
How we build model estimates and where our information comes from.
Sources and citations
Rankings and recent results for the players named come from the Court Shark match database. The story is public tennis news, written up by the desk in its own words.
Limitations
Player figures are a snapshot taken when the story was written and do not update after publication.
About the desk
Who writes the Journal and how an article is put together. Read about the desk
Editorial standards
What we publish, what we check and how we decide what is fit to print. Read our standards
Corrections
Spotted an error? Write to hello@courtshark.ai and we will correct it and note the change. Read the corrections policy