"Sorry to say that": Zheng Qinwen picks Grand Slam title over becoming world number one

China’s Zheng Qinwen stated that becoming world number one is not her ‘dream’. The 22-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis in the singles category, along with the likes of Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka, Poland’s Iga Swiatek and America’s Coco Gauff.

Qinwen has recently been quoted in a report by The Tennis Gazette, in which she explained that her biggest dream is to win a Grand Slam. She also revealed that becoming the world's number one is not her dream. “Well, no doubt, Grand Slam, because this is a dream since I was a child,” she said. “Actually I didn’t put world number one in my dream, I put a Slam, sorry to say that.”

Qinwen has come close to completing her dream in 2024 at the Australian Open where she finished as the runner-up after losing to Sabalenka in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-2. The biggest achievement for the Shiyan-born star has been her performance at the Paris Olympics where she lifted the gold medal for her country in the singles category after beating Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-3.

At the Indian Wells, Qinwen has booked her spot in the round of 16 after beating New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-5. She is now set to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the next round. The 22-year-old cemented her spot in the fourth round of the mega-event after beating America’s Caroline Dolehide in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-3. This will be the third meeting between the two players in professional tennis. In the previous two meetings, both players emerged victorious on one occasion. Their most recent meeting took place in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart last year, where Kostyuk came out on top with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.