Recently, the latest world rankings of the WTA were announced, confirming that Zheng Qinwen will compete in the women's singles event of the 2025 Australian Open as the No. 5 seed, marking her first appearance as a top-five seed in a Grand Slam tournament. The top eight seeds for the women's singles at the Australian Open are as follows: Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Paolini, Zheng Qinwen, Rybakina, Pegula, and Navarro. According to the schedule of the Australian Open, the qualifying rounds will be held first, with matches involving high-seeded players scheduled for next week. Notably, CCTV5 will provide live coverage, with Zheng Qinwen's matches being a focal point, ensuring that every match is broadcast live, truly living up to the grand occasion!
Due to Zheng Qinwen's withdrawal from the United Cup and not registering for the WTA500 Adelaide tournament, many fans have expressed concerns about her competitive form, especially since her old rivals such as Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Rybakina have been actively participating in recent competitions and gradually regaining their competitive edge. For Zheng Qinwen, starting the new season with such challenging matches is undoubtedly difficult. However, looking back at last season, which match for Zheng Qinwen was not a tough challenge to overcome?
Take the Paris Olympics as an example, where Zheng Qinwen was the underdog, with her journey to the finals described as a miraculous escape, particularly in the women's singles semifinals! At that time, Zheng Qinwen faced Swiatek in the semifinals, against whom she had previously lost all seven encounters, and Swiatek's world ranking far surpassed Zheng Qinwen's. Under such circumstances, Zheng Qinwen managed to withstand the pressure and defeat the then world No. 1 Swiatek in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5. Following this victory, Zheng Qinwen went on to triumph over the equally formidable Vekic in the final, claiming the gold medal in the women's singles at the Paris Olympics.
The Australian Open may present numerous challenges, which might not be favorable for Zheng Qinwen, who has not competed recently. But does it really matter? As the saying goes, "risk and reward coexist." Although many top athletes have registered for the Australian Open, the prize money is also substantial. It is reported that the total prize money for this event amounts to 96.5 million Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately 430 million Chinese yuan, with both the men's and women's singles champions receiving increased prize money of 3.5 million Australian dollars, equivalent to about 15.92 million Chinese yuan.
In other words, if Zheng Qinwen can win the Australian Open, she would receive approximately 15.92 million yuan and break her own best record at the Australian Open! Last season, Zheng Qinwen made her way through the Australian Open, overcoming strong opponents such as Ashlyn Krueger, Katie Boulter, Anna Kalinskaya, and Dayana Yastremska, reaching the final. Although she lost to Sabalenka in the final, she still secured the runner-up position, becoming the first post-00s player in China's women's tennis history to reach the Australian Open women's singles final.