From Paris gold to Cincinnati: The next chapter in Zheng Qinwen's journey

It’s a Hollywood axiom: The sequel rarely exceeds the blockbuster.

So how does Zheng Qinwen follow up her scintillating breakthrough at the Paris Olympics -- winning a gold medal in singles at the age of 21 -- at the Cincinnati Open? She’s scheduled to play Thursday, against the first-round winner between Marie Bouzkova and qualifier Magdalena Frech.

Zheng was a finalist at the Australian Open back in January but says that, in terms of stress level, representing China at the Olympics was something completely different. Her only matches that went three sets were against Emma Navarro in the third round and Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals.

Cincinnati: Scores | Draws | Order of Play

“Honestly, those two matches, I was really, really nervous,” Zheng told reporters in Cincinnati on Tuesday. “I never felt nervous like that. I had a bathroom break, and I realized my head was shaking without control. Because it was super-hot and those two players, they had consistency.

“Usually when I have a chance, I just go. Lot of expectations, playing Olympic tennis, so I’m trying to play more safe tennis instead of hitting the ball hard like I want always.”

And yet, by going against her forceful nature, by dialing it down, Zheng was able to survive those contests -- which each featured two tiebreaks -- before fashioning straight-set victories over World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals and Donna Vekic in the final.

It was a sign of maturity for Zheng, who saw this opportunity coming as a teenager two years ago.

“Yes, I discuss with my team that moment in Olympics will be one of the biggest dreams that I had,” Zheng said. “I really wished that I could perform well there. Because it’s on clay, I feel comfortable. That will be my opportunity.

“I had not thought about gold medal -- this is true. I just want to get a medal -- that’s my first target. But especially after the match I won against Iga, I realized that’s my chance, yeah.”

Zheng and her team, headed by coach Pere Riba, celebrated with a fine dinner at a Paris restaurant. The only thing missing? Her parents, who she said were crying on the phone after she won. There just wasn’t time for them to get there. Because her father was unable to secure a Visa, they won’t be coming to America and will have to wait until the WTA Tour comes to them, during the post-US Open section of the schedule in China.

That’s not to say they haven’t been dictating policy. The medal, Zheng said, is already back home in China.

“The first thing I called my father and he told me, ‘Give your medal to your manager. We want the medal back in China,’” Zheng said, causing laughter among the reporters. “It will be in Wuhan, where my parents live.”

In China, that victory dramatically changed the temperature of that nation’s tennis interest. Magazines and news shows that never featured the sport before wanted in on the story. On Weibo, one of China’s biggest social media platforms, topics related to Zheng had a total of 4.62 billion impressions. Forty-six threads were trending the night after she won, six of them at the top of the rankings for eight hours.

Zheng gained nearly a half-million new followers during the Olympics.

Before the Olympics, Nike aired a commercial that said: “There’s only one souvenir I want from Paris: The medal.” The billboard was everywhere in China’s big cities, especially Shanghai. After Zheng won, the shirt she wore to the press conferences changed the word from medal to gold medal. 

For the first three days after winning gold, Zheng thought, “Wow, that’s amazing.” But after jumping on a plane to Ohio, she came crashing back to reality. Making the adjustment from the red clay of Roland Garros to American hard courts was exacerbated by jet lag, different conditions and a new tennis ball from last year.

“I touch the ball, and it is flying six meters long -- I don’t know why,” Zheng said. “I have to adjust my power, adjust how I hit the ball … after three days of practiced, it’s pretty much along the way.”

After reaching her first Grand Slam singles final, Zheng struggled to maintain that level. She produced a record of 5-5 in her next WTA 100 events before advancing to the quarterfinals in Rome.

“Honestly, I’m a little bit scared,” Zheng said, laughing nervously. “I don’t know what’s going to happen this time. Because I know this is going to be a challenge for me to maintain the same level when you get a big result. I’m trying to put that mentality, always trying to improve, trying to stay humble but it’s different when you actually do it. 

“Is a tough question. It’s the moment you need to find the hunger, the motivation. Right now, my motivation is really high because my ranking dropped to No.9. I wish I could do well in Cincinnati and US Open because I had a great experience last year in these two tournaments. Let’s see how it goes.”