Zheng Qinwen and coach Pere Riba are reuniting for 2024.
The World No.15 announced that she was returning to work with her former longtime coach in an Instagram post on Sunday, saying that she was going “back to the original.”
“Reunited after some time apart, ready to embark on the journey together and prepare for the upcoming year," she wrote.
Riba and Zheng worked together beginning in 2021, and split after Roland Garros this year. Barcelona-based Zheng rose from outside the Top 100 to inside the Top 30 under Riba’s tutelage, and was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2022.
Following the split, Zheng then hired Belgian Wim Fissette, who guided her to her first career Hologic WTA Tour singles title in Palermo and the quarterfinals of the US Open this summer. But they split shortly after, with Fissette choosing to return to work with his former charge Naomi Osaka, who is returning to tennis next year after the birth of her first child.
Riba, meanwhile, joined up with Coco Gauff ahead of Wimbledon, and was by the American’s side with co-coach Brad Gilbert for a sizzling summer that culminated with her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open. They, too, split after less than six months: Gauff confirmed during the WTA Finals in Cancun that she and Riba had parted ways, and he wished the 19-year-old well when confirming their split in a social media post. Riba said at the time that he needed to "step back" due to "personal and family health reasons."
Zheng, 21, closed her season by winning her second career WTA title in Zhengzhou in October, and also reached the final of the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. She worked with her fitness coach, Rob Brandsma, who took over the coach’s role through year’s end.
