Zheng Qinwen to make WTA Finals debut, completing star-studded lineup

The WTA has officially confirmed Zheng Qinwen's qualification for the WTA Finals, where she will make her debut in the tournament that gathers the top eight players of the season. The 22-year-old joins Barbora Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, completing the tournament field.

The Chinese player made a breakthrough on the Tour earlier this year, reaching the final of the Australian Open (losing to Aryna Sabalenka). Her results were somewhat inconsistent afterward, but everything changed after Wimbledon. She won a total of 24 matches out of her last 28.

Her excellent form in the second half of 2024 saw her claim consecutive titles at the Palermo Open and the Olympic Games gold medal. She then reached the quarterfinals at the US Open, the semifinals at the China Open, and the final at the Wuhan Open.

Zheng’s last few months allowed her to recover from a deficit of nearly 500 points behind Emma Navarro. The American faltered in her final tournaments, enabling Zheng to surpass her and leave Navarro out of the WTA Finals.

‘Queen Wen’ will be the first Chinese player to compete in this event since Li Na, who qualified three consecutive times between 2011 and 2013, reaching the final in 2013 (losing to Serena Williams).

With Zheng's qualification, the lineup for the tournament is complete. Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejcikova round out the eight qualified players. The tournament will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to November 9.