Fresh off China Open title, Zheng stuns in Vogue China spread

Zheng Qinwen's magical fall continued this week with a stunning photo spread in Vogue China.

The photoshoot comes on the heels of Zheng's title in Beijing, where she became the first Chinese woman to win the China Open.

It was a milestone moment for Zheng, who won her first career WTA 1000 title and first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz title since 2024. She got into the draw as a wild card and won four three-setters before upsetting Elina Svitolina, Elise Mertens and then Mirra Andreeva in the final.

"Honestly after winning this title, I felt like finally I achieve it, finally I once again become the one who [is] making new history," Zheng told reporters after beating Andreeva in the final. "I always want to kind of beat myself, because everyone is
asking me how great you achieve in 2024. I always say that the best is [to] come in the future."

Zheng spent more than 15 hours on court during her seven matches,  the most time spent on court by any player at any tournament this year, and the most since Opta began tracking total time spent on court in 2023. 

Ranked No. 54 during the tournament, she was the lowest-ranked player ever to win the China Open. She's since jumped 31 spots in the PIF WTA Rankings, to No. 23.

This week's Vogue appearance is the latest in the Olympic gold medalist's storied history with the iconic magazine. In 2024, a couple of months after Zheng won gold in Paris, the then-22-year-old became the first athlete ever to be featured on the cover of Vogue China.

She graced the cover again last year, and in her glossy spread she used pumpkins as dumbbells, gigged with candy rings and volleyed bubbles from a bathtub with a giant tennis racquet.

Zheng was initially scheduled to play Wuhan this week, but opted to withdraw after the championship match in Beijing, citing a right shoulder injury.

She's still scheduled to play the WTA 250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open, in Osaka, which begins on Oct. 19.