Zheng Qinwen reaches US Open last 16 with "classic comeback"

Zheng Qinwen serves during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

NEW YORK, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Zheng Qinwen bounced back from 5-0 down in the decider to overcome home player Madison Keys and reach the US Open women's singles last 16 on Saturday.

After losing the first set 6-1 with four double faults, Zheng gradually found rhythm to improve stability on serves. The two players were well-matched in the second set until the reigning Olympic champion won 7-6 (3) in the tie-breaker.

22nd-seeded Keys then felt at ease in the third set to take a 5-0 lead, but Zheng showed resilience to win seven straight games to claim a 7-5 victory.

In her sixth appearance in the Grand Slam last 16, Zheng will play against eighth seed Iga Swiatek of Poland.

"It is a very classic comeback," Zheng said. "I kept holding every single point. Somehow, little by little, it just happened. I turned [around] 0-5. This is the first time [it] happened in my career."

"It was a very tough game. At that moment, I showed no emotion. I just kept fighting. Against Maddie, you can't be too passive. I think I find the right balance at the end of the game. What I can say? Wow," the 23-year-old added.

"I obviously got off to a really good lead, and then I just got really scared, like I couldn't swing. At the end, I felt like I couldn't play tennis anymore, and it felt like it was a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match, all of a sudden," Keys said.

Also on Saturday, China's Shang Juncheng and Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik beat Fabian Marozsan of Hungary and Argentina's Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-4 in the men's doubles first round.

Chinese players struggled in the women's doubles second round, as Wang Xiyu and Xu Yifan lost to the top-seeded pair Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the United States 6-3, 6-4. American pair Robin Montgomery and Ashlyn Krueger saw off China's Wang Xinyu and Japan's Moyuka Uchijima 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, while China's Tang Qianhui and Russia's Elena Pridankina lost to Australia's Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3.

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen (R) greets Madison Keys after the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Madison Keys returns a shot during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Madison Keys returns a shot during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Madison Keys serves during the women's singles third round match betweetn Zheng Qinwen of China and Madison Keys of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Wang Xinyu (R)/Uchijima Moyuka compete during the women's doubles second round match between Wang Xinyu (China)/Uchijima Moyuka(Japan) and Robin Montgomery/Ashlyn Krueger of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Robin Montgomery/Ashlyn Krueger (L) compete during the women's doubles second round match between Wang Xinyu (China)/Uchijima Moyuka(Japan) and Robin Montgomery/Ashlyn Krueger of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Wang Xinyu (R)/Uchijima Moyuka compete during the women's doubles second round match between Wang Xinyu (China)/Uchijima Moyuka(Japan) and Robin Montgomery/Ashlyn Krueger of the United States at the 2026 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, Sept. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Rui)