Olympic champion Zheng channels 'gold medal mentality' in Paris
The 22-year-old Zheng navigated a difficult first-round assignment on Sunday as she beat former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 in her first match in Paris since capturing the Olympic title.
"I am happy to get this match against a great opponent," said Zheng. "I always think the first match in the Slams is tricky."
Zheng, the number eight seed at Roland Garros, made the last 16 on her debut in 2022 but has fallen prematurely at the past two editions.
She hopes the memories of her Paris 2024 triumph on Court Philippe Chatrier, which had its roof closed for her win over Pavlyuchenkova due to scattered showers, will serve her well as she tries to emulate Li Na, China's first and only Grand Slam singles champion.
"That feeling is unforgettable," Zheng said of winning Olympic gold.
"It is the best experience in my life so far. I will carry the gold medal mentality all through this tournament. I will always keep fighting. I just hope I give my best performance here in 2025."
Zheng, beaten in last year's Australian Open final by Aryna Sabalenka, faces a potential rematch with the world number one in the quarter-finals.
She next plays Colombia's Emiliana Arango, who condemned Philippines trailblazer Alexandra Eala to a swift exit in her first Grand Slam appearance.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
30 minutes ago
- Euronews
Why is Paris seeking legal personhood status for the River Seine?
Paris's Seine could be the next river granted legal personhood under plans announced by Mayor Anne Hidalgo yesterday. Paris City Council has called on Parliament to pass a law giving the River Seine rights, so that "an independent guardian authority' can defend it in court, according to yesterday's resolution. It follows a swell of similar 'rights for nature' breakthroughs since New Zealand first recognised the Whanganui River as a living entity in 2017. And is another step forward in Paris's bid to protect the Seine from pollution. 'From the reclamation of the banks in 2016 to the historic swimming in the Seine during the Paris Games, to the improvement of water quality, we have never stopped acting to restore our river to its rightful place!' Hidalgo wrote in a LinkedIn post yesterday. The foundations of the plan were laid by a citizens'convention on the future of the Seine, which concluded last month. 50 citizens chosen at random questioned experts and took part in weeks of debate in order to reach a collective opinion. They concluded that the Seine should have fundamental rights, including 'the right to exist, to flow and to regenerate.' On the basis of this opinion, the City of Paris is tabling a bill in Parliament to give the Seine the rights to be properly protected. Une publication partagée par Anne Hidalgo (@annehidalgo) 'Recognising rights to the oceans, rivers or the Seine is neither a symbolic gesture nor a legal fantasy: it is a political response to the ecological emergency. It is urgent to act!' Hidalgo added. The Seine must be considered an ecosystem that "no one can claim ownership of", where the preservation of life takes "precedence over everything", according to the convention. Paris has been on a major cleanup mission on the Seine's behalf in recent years, spending €1.4 billion on its recovery. That includes investments like building a giant underground tub to store wastewater so that it doesn't run into the river. It received a boost in the run-up to the Olympics last year, as French authorities sought to get the river clean enough to host water sports events. After much speculation, failed E. coli tests, and one Mayoral swim, some Olympic events were able to go ahead. But a plan to open the Seine for public swimming last summer was delayed until this year. Now, authorities say it will be opened up at three points from 5 July. Despite ongoing issues from pollution, rising water temperatures, and pesticide runoff, the Seine has been getting markedly healthier. As the citizens' convention noted, the river is now home to around 40 species of fish - up from just four in 1970. Opening the river up to the public this summer could present "additional risks", it warned, and so will need to be carefully managed. Communities around the world have campaigned for fragile ecosystems like rivers and mountains to be afforded legal rights in order to better protect them. The legislation protecting the Whanganui River combines Western legal precedent with Indigenous beliefs, as Maori people have long considered it a living entity. In 2022, Spain granted personhood status to Europe's biggest saltwater lagoon, the Mar Menor, marking the first time a European ecosystem gained the right to the conservation of its species and habitats, and protection from harmful activities such as intensive agriculture. Last year, an Ecuadorian court ruled that pollution had violated the rights of the Machángara River, which runs through Quito. It enforced an article of Ecuador's Constitution that recognises the rights of nature. Hidalgo wants to see the Seine join this privileged company. 'Paris is committed to putting the Seine back in its rightful place, in the heart of our city and as close as possible to its inhabitants,' she wrote. 'A new adventure begins!'
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Osaka, Pegula pull out of historic women's event at Queen's
Pegula, the runner-up at last year's US Open, was set to be the highest-ranked player at the WTA 500 event, but the American withdrew alongside Japanese star Osaka on Thursday. The Wimbledon warm-up event starts on Monday, with female players returning to Queen's for the first time in 52 years. Pegula lost in the French Open fourth round to wild card Lois Boisson earlier this week and on Wednesday posted images on her Instagram page of the social media abuse she has suffered since the shock loss. Osaka, who has won both the Australian Open and US Open twice, received a wild card from Queen's organisers. But she expressed frustration with her form last week after enduring a dismal French Open exit against Paula Badosa. Queen's Club officials confirmed the withdrawals of the pair on the tournament's official X account. The absence of two high-profile stars is a blow to Queen's organisers after they added a week of women's action to a tournament that had only featured men since 1973. The ATP event at Queen's now takes place a week after the women's tournament in west London. Former Wimbledon winners Elena Rybakina and Petra Kvitova, who has recently returned from maternity leave, are scheduled to feature alongside reigning All England Club champion Barbora Krejcikova in the WTA tournament.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Swiatek faces Sabalenka as Boisson eyes 'dream' French Open final
The biggest rivalry in the current women's game will get its first instalment since last August in Cincinnati when the reigning Roland Garros champion goes up against the top seed. It will be only their second ever meeting at a Grand Slam tournament and their first since a three-set win for Swiatek in the 2022 US Open semi-finals en route to the title. Swiatek holds an 8-4 winning record against Sabalenka, but came into the tournament under a cloud after a disappointing clay-court season and without even a final appearance since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen 12 months ago. But the Pole is on a remarkable 26-match winning streak in the French Open and could become the first woman to win four straight titles at Roland Garros since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago. "I don't know if she elevates my game," she said of Sabalenka. "But for sure our rivalry is pushing both of us, I think, but it's not only about the level of tennis. It's about like everything, how we work, and how professional we are." The pair practised together in the build-up to the tournament, and Sabalenka credits their improving relationship off-court to a dance video they did for TikTok at last year's WTA Finals. Sabalenka has only beaten Swiatek once on clay, in the 2023 Madrid Open final. Their most memorable clash was the 2024 final in the Spanish capital when Swiatek saved three championship points and won in a deciding-set tie-break. "We've had a lot of great battles in the past," Sabalenka said after her quarter-final win over Zheng Qinwen. "I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win." Sabalenka has powered through the draw so far without dropping a set. Swiatek has also been in dominant form, with the exception a battling comeback victory over Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, a performance she said she "needed". Boisson gunning for 'dream' World number 361 Boisson is still dreaming of an improbable title on her Grand Slam debut after a memorable quarter-final triumph over rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva. The 22-year-old Boisson missed out on making her first Roland Garros appearance last year after suffering a knee injury shortly before the tournament, but has more than made up for lost time with a stunning run through the draw. She had never played a top-50 opponent before this week, but has now beaten two in the top 10 in third-ranked Jessica Pegula and world number six Andreeva to set up her last-four clash with Gauff. "I think every kid who plays tennis has the dream to win a Slam. More for French players to win Roland Garros, for sure," said Boisson. "So, yeah, it's a dream. For sure I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not to be in the semi-final." Andreeva was overwhelmed by the atmosphere on Court Philippe Chatrier as she lost the last six games of her quarter-final against Boisson. But Gauff has a plan to try and block out the noise from the partisan home crowd. "I think there are two ways I have done it in the past. Either, A: just pretend they're cheering for you, and B: just using it and not letting that get to you," she said after defeating Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the last eight. The American is bidding to reach her second French Open final after a demoralising defeat by Swiatek in the 2022 showpiece. Gauff has since won the US Open, in 2023, and climbed to second in the world. The 21-year-old will be hoping her added experience can help her finally clinch the title at a tournament in which she has reached at least the quarter-finals in five successive years. © 2025 AFP
