‘I want to come back really strong’: Zheng fires 20 aces in first match of 2026

DOHA, Qatar -- Welcome back Zheng Qinwen!

After cutting her 2025 season short in September and withdrawing from the Australian Open, Zheng notched a statement 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Sofia Kenin in her season debut -- the Qatar TotalEnergies Open is her first tournament on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz since the China Open last September. 

Following a difficult summer that saw her exit Wimbledon in the first round to Katerina Siniakova, Zheng underwent right-elbow surgery in July 2025 to address persistent pain and subsequently withdrew from the US Open. Though returning in October at the China Open, she retired in her second round match and cut her season short. 

Scheduled to partake in the year's first Grand Slam, Zheng pulled out as a precaution as she wasn't at the competitive level needed for the tournament. On Monday in Doha, she was. Powered by 20 aces and 43 winners, Zheng overcame a dropped first set to defeat Kenin. 

In the seventh game of the first set, Zheng showed signs of what was to come in the match. Facing double break point, Zheng rattled off four straight points with clever net player complemented by a pair of aces to hold serve and narrow the deficit to 4-3. That, in addition to her variety of forehand and backhand winners -- especially on Kenin's serve -- foreshadowed what came in the final two sets.

Zheng spoke to press after the match, here are the burning questions from that media session:

Q: With 20 aces today, what was working so well on your serve?

"I didn't see the stats yet, but obviously -- me and my team -- we are working so hard on that because I've been out for six months with my elbow. That's not easy and I want to come back really strong. I'm glad I did that in the first match, but it's tennis -- it has to be consistent, it's not only one round."

Q: Given the recovery of the elbow, were you playing without pain?

"I think when you come back from injury, it's never totally pain-free. It always comes with up and down process. Sometimes, when you wake up, you feel better. Sometimes, when you wake up, you feel a bit more worse. But generally I believe my elbow is in a good process because I could feel it. 

"When I was in China Open, I wasn't sure I should play so I would say my elbow right now -- I'm in a really good stage, and I can keep going for another two hours serving 190 (km/h)."

Q: How was rehab process and journey getting back to the court?

"Nobody expected the recovery of the surgery would take so long. We all thought it was only two months and after I can jump back on the court easily. But at the end when I was in the China Open, my elbow still didn't have the full extension.

Q: How do you assess your performance, especially with strong play from the baseline?

"I expect that I can play better. When I was in the first set especially I couldn't read the match and I think the speed wasn't what I expected. Somehow, I found a way to win and this is most important. In tennis match, I can't always feel perfect. I can't always shoot a winner from my racquet so I start to be a bit more patient during the match, trying to go back a bit more and find my rhythm, start to attack again.

"I would say there's still a lot of things I could do better during this match, and I'm just happy I get a chance in the next match to do better in my tennis."

Q: Did you watch any tennis during your recovery and how does it compared to when you're actively playing?

"More than usual. When I was off tennis for six months, I was putting a big screen of Australian Open and another small screen for another match. I've been following the most interesting players -- (Aryna) Sabalenka, (Jannik) Sinner, (Novak) Djokovic, (Carlos) Alcaraz, (Elena) Rybakina. It feels fun sometimes watching tennis from the screen as a fan."