Qinwen Zheng pushed past both Yulia Putintseva and her own body at the 2026 US Open, gutting out a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 second-round win while battling illness.
Qinwen Zheng Steals Back Win From Yulia Putintseva
The victory wasn't clean. Zheng controlled the opener before Putintseva punched back to take the second set 6-2, leveling the match. Still, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist flipped a switch in the decider, reeling off five straight games to slam the door 6-1.
After match point, Zheng collapsed on the court in tears. She recently revealed she's been recovering from an undisclosed illness for the past week.
"That's why when I won I laid down on the court and cried," she said after her qualifying wins. "You know when you get sick, you are weak."
Zheng's Tough 2026 US Open Run
A July 2025 elbow surgery knocked Zheng off the WTA Tour for months, and her ranking cratered to No. 121. That forced the former top 10 player to grind through qualifying just to reach the main draw. But this tournament, she said, marks the first time she's "felt like herself again in a long time."
Zheng, a two-time US Open quarterfinalist, now faces No. 22 seed Madison Keys in the Grand Slam's third round.
