Zheng Qinwen
Zheng Qinwen of the People’s Republic of China became the first Asian tennis player to win Olympic gold when she captured the title in Paris.
In the final, she defeated Croatia’s Donna Vekić, 6–2, 6–3. It was the end of an impressive run for Zheng, who had faced match point against Emma Navarro in the third round and saw off pre-Games favourite Iga Świątek in the semi-finals on the red clay of the famous Roland Garros.
“[Beating Świątek] means a lot for me because I lost against her six times,” Qinwen said. “But now I beat her in the Olympic Games, one of the most important tournaments for me.”
With the win, Zheng said she hoped to inspire others, as two-time Grand Slam champion Li Na had for her in her youth.
“Since I was a child, Li Na was an inspiration to me,” Zheng said. “I always wanted to become one that can inspire young kids to love more tennis. Because tennis to me is a great sport, especially for girls. You have to fight, you need to have strength, you have to be fast. There is not only one specific strength – it is a very complicated sport.”