Zeng, 22, has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the WTA rankings since reaching her first major final last season, continuing her momentum at the Summer Olympics and later at home in China, where she reached the semi-finals in Beijing and the final. from his home tournament in Wuhan.
Ending the season with a second-place finish at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the No. 5 seed takes on the new challenge of taking on the field, taking inspiration from one of the sport’s greatest legends.
“Of course there is starting to be more and more pressure, but at the same time they are pushing me to become a better person and a better athlete,” said Zheng, who will next face Laura Siegemund or Hailey Baptiste.
“I think I handle pressure well. I like to play with pressure, as Billie Jean King says: “Pressure is a privilege”. I love this phrase, so let’s continue playing with pressure!
That mindset could come in handy later in the week for Zheng, who ranks fifth in her career: She is expected to face two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, in what would be a rematch of last year. final.
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