Qinwen Zheng dug out of a 0-5 first-set hole to upset No. 8 seed Iga Świątek 7-5, 6-3 at the 2026 US Open on Monday. The fourth-round win now sends her to the quarterfinals for the third time in her career.
Qinwen Zheng Completes Shocking US Open Comeback — Twice
Early on, the Świątek vs Zheng clash looked like a mismatch. Świątek jumped to an almost insurmountable lead while Zheng sprayed unforced errors across the court. But then, Zheng found a different gear.
She made only two unforced errors the rest of the set, winning seven straight games to grab the opener. Three days earlier, she mounted an identical 0-5 comeback against Madison Keys in the third round.
That first-set fight on Monday took something out of Świątek. She called for a medical timeout before the fourth game of the second set with some leg discomfort but was ultimately unable regain control.
Zheng kept pressing with her groundstrokes to wrap up the match on Arthur Ashe Stadium in a little over two hours.
Świątek vs Zheng Breaks WTA Winning Streak
The result gave Zheng just her second win over Świątek in nine career meetings — the other came at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She's now the first qualifier to reach a US Open quarterfinal since Emma Raducanu in 2021 and the first lucky loser to beat Świątek at any Grand Slam, ending the Polish star's 15-0 run.
