China’s Zheng Qinwen defeated Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday to win the China Open for the first time and claim her first title in nearly two years.
The former world number four and reigning Olympic champion entered the Beijing tournament as a wildcard after struggling with form and fitness following elbow surgery in 2025.
Ranked 54th in the world, the 24-year-old became the first Chinese player to win the tournament since its establishment in 2004.
World number five Andreeva started the final strongly, but Zheng recovered a break to stay level with her 19-year-old opponent in a closely contested opening set.
Zheng saved three set points to draw level at 5-5 before winning the next two games, sealing the set with an ace.
The home crowd enthusiastically backed Zheng, although some spectators drew attention for cheering before points had ended and shouting during serves.
Both players held serve for much of the second set before Zheng broke Andreeva in the ninth game with a powerful shot close to the line to take a 5-4 lead.
A double fault briefly threatened to delay the victory, but Zheng responded with an ace to convert her first match point and secure the title.
The victory marked Zheng’s first trophy since October 2024, when she defeated Sofia Kenin in Tokyo. It was also her first title at the WTA 1000 level.
Zheng had previously beaten Andreeva in their only other meeting, in the quarter-finals of the 2024 China Open, winning in three sets.
Andreeva, who was competing in her first China Open final, said she had enjoyed the tournament despite the defeat.
“It was a very nice week,” she said. “I love playing in Beijing, so of course I had a very, very nice time.”
Her run to the final is expected to lift her to a career-high third in the world rankings.
