Zheng Qinwen stages stunning comeback to knock Iga Swiatek out of US Open

The Chinese 23-year-old, the reigning Olympic champion and a former world number four, has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in New York after a difficult period that saw her fall outside the world's top 100. Zheng had struggled for form following elbow surgery in July 2025, but has now won seven consecutive matches at Flushing Meadows after coming through three rounds of qualifying.

Against eighth seed Swiatek, Zheng initially fell 5-0 behind in the opening set but completely turned the match around, winning 13 of the next 16 games on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, recovered to level the second set at 3-3, but Zheng took control from there. She produced a powerful backhand return winner to break in the seventh game before breaking again two games later to seal a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

The win sends Zheng into the quarter-finals for the first time at the US Open, where she will face second seed Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh advanced with a dominant straight-sets victory over former champion Naomi Osaka.

"The more matches I play, the more rhythm I have on court," said Zheng.

"People have asked me if I'm tired and when I arrived I was not tired at all. I felt really pumped for my match, trying to reach better levels here and enjoy this fantastic stadium."

In the last match of Monday evening, American fourth seed Coco Gauff booked her place in the quarter-finals with a straightforward 6-1 6-4 win over Iva Jovic.

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