Zheng Qinwen battled her way into the fourth round of the 2026 Miami Open with a hard-fought three-set victory over former Australian Open champion Madison Keys. The Chinese star, who has featured sparingly since undergoing elbow surgery last year, opened up after the win about what she missed most during her time away from the sport.
Zheng Qinwen Reflects on Her ‘Boring’ Life Without Tennis Following Miami Open Win
The opening set remained tightly contested, with both players largely holding serve until Keys broke in the 10th game to seal it 6-4. Despite losing the first set, Zheng became utterly dominant in the second, converting 28% of her break points and breaking the American twice to eventually win 6-2.
The deciding set was equally competitive, with both players largely holding serve. However, Zheng proved more clinical on key points, converting half of her break opportunities, while Keys failed to capitalize on either of hers. A solitary break ultimately proved decisive, as Zheng closed out the set 6-4 to advance to the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event.
Zheng is steadily rebuilding her form after an extended spell on the sidelines following elbow surgery in 2025. The 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist has begun to rediscover her level, compiling a 4-2 record in 2026 while showing encouraging signs of her return to peak condition.
Following her victory over Keys, Zheng reflected on her time away, admitting she missed playing intense matches against her peers and the energy of the crowd.
“There are a lot of things I liked to be on the tour. I think it’s nice to compete with all of the girls. Secondly, I really miss to be in front of the crowd and play such an intense match,” she said in her post-match on-court interview.
Qinwen Zheng on what she missed about being on tour:
“I think it’s nice to compete with all the girls… My body likes pressure. During this 6 months when I’m without pressure, I feel my life is so boring, honestly so boring without tennis”
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— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 22, 2026
Zheng said she thrives under pressure and found life dull during her break. She enjoys competing and expressed satisfaction with everything, including her outfit, praising Nike, her primary apparel and footwear sponsor.
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“You know, my body likes pressure and during these 6 months when I’m without pressure, I feel my life is so boring, honestly so boring without tennis. I just love tennis and I love to play tennis with this beautiful outfit. Nike did a really good job. What I don’t like, I like everything, it’s nothing which I don’t like,” she added.
Although a win over Keys may have raised her spirits, a formidable challenge lies ahead as Zheng is set to face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round. The Belarusian holds a massive 7-1 head-to-head advantage over Zheng and is also favored by PFSN’s simulator with a 90% chance of winning the upcoming contest in Miami.
