Teenage dream realised for Zheng in Tokyo

Zheng Qinwen was delighted to atone for her 2022 Tokyo Open final defeat as she overcame Sofia Kenin to capture the title on Sunday.

Zheng won her third WTA title of the year by beating wild-card entrant Kenin 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes in the Japanese capital.

The Chinese number one, who won gold at the Paris Olympic Games and successfully defended her Palermo title during the clay-court season, was featuring in her second Tokyo final after finishing as runner-up to Liudmila Samsonova two years ago.

Speaking after her victory, Zheng said: "I really appreciate that I'm able to fight through and be the champion in Tokyo.

"This is the one I wanted to get when I was 19 years old. I fought so hard, but I didn't, I lost in the final. So this year, I'm just really happy."

Zheng will now look to continue her momentum when she makes her WTA Finals debut in Riyadh next week, but she knows the competition in Saudi Arabia will be fierce.

"All the players are really tough to beat," Zheng said. "From the first match, I'll need to be focused. It's the first time for me in the WTA Finals. I am so motivated but let’s see what's going to happen."

FULL CIRCLE MOMENT After reaching her first WTA singles final here in 2022, Zheng Qinwen is the #TorayPPO2024 Champion defeating Kenin 7-6(5), 6-3 pic.twitter.com/DcaT4QHjuq

— wta (@WTA) October 27, 2024

Data Debrief: Zheng flying in Asia

Zheng now boasts a 28-4 record since the end of Wimbledon, and her form through the Asian Swing has been nothing short of magnificent.

She went 12-2 through the Asian events, and her career win-loss record in Tokyo now stands at 8-1.