Zheng Qinwen was pushed to the limits by Liumdila Samsonova during their fourth-round showdown on Sunday, June 1, at the French Open 2025. She eventually edged past her opponent with a 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-3 win. She will next take on World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
There was another battle taking place at the same time between Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. The three-time defending champion was on the backfoot for a while until she turned things around for a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 comeback win. It marked her 25th consecutive win at the French Open, putting her on par with Monica Seles. Despite her insane dominance at the venue, the Pole did lose a match in between.
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The Paris Olympics 2024 were held on the same grounds as the French Open. Zheng knocked out Swiatek in the semifinals, handing the latter her first loss at the venue since 2022. During her latest post-match conference, she was asked to describe what it took to beat the Pole, since as of now she's the only player to do it in recent years.
While Zheng acknowledged Swiatek's success on these grounds, she felt it was her time to win prior to their Olympic tussle. She executed her game plan perfectly, serving well, staying solid from the baseline and not making any cheap errors. However, she added that this was a year ago and she now wanted to focus on her current campaign.
"She’s been so successful on clay. Especially here at Roland Garros. I remember when I beat her.. actually before entering the match, I said to myself ‘This time I’m gonna get it.’ Because I just had the feeling. Obviously she plays incredible. Last time, I remember how solid I was on court in that match. I almost didn’t give any easy mistakes."
"Just be there. My ball was really heavy. Playing aggressive at the same time. I felt my serve good that day. That’s one year ago, right now we’re in Roland Garros. I feel she’s doing amazing here. But for me I’ll just keep going. Like I said before, for me I want to stay longer here in Roland Garros." Zheng said.
Zheng could have to deal with Swiatek in the semifinals but before that she will have to contend with Sabalenka. She recently beat her for the first time at the Italian Open after losing their previous six matches.
Zheng Qinwen to face Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open quarterfinals
Zheng Qinwen will renew her rivalry against Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of the French Open 2025. This will be their third meeting this year. The World No. 1 came out on top en route to the Miami Open title but lost their quarterfinal bout at the Italian Open.
Zheng's win over Sabalenka in Rome was quite significant. Aside from being her first win in their rivalry, she also snapped her opponent from reaching a fifth consecutive final.
The 22-year-old from China will be keen for an encore. However, Sabalenka has already declared that she's gunning for revenge. She hasn't dropped a set in Paris so far and beat Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-3 in the previous round.
