NEW YORK — Zheng Qinwen appeared to be on the brink of a stunning US Open exit. Instead, the Olympic champion produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of the tournament.
The 23-year-old Chinese star erased a 5-0 deficit in the deciding set, saved a match point and then won seven consecutive games to stun No. 22 seed Madison Keys, 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, in a dramatic third-round battle on Saturday.
The victory sends Zheng into the fourth round of the 2026 US Open after she had been forced to fight through three qualifying matches just to reach the main draw. The official US Open report confirmed that Zheng was returning from right-elbow surgery and had to navigate qualifying before beginning her unlikely run in New York.
From 0-5 down to a stunning turnaround
For much of the opening set, there was little indication that the match would become a classic.
Keys dominated the first set, taking it 6-1 in only 23 minutes. Zheng struggled with her first serve early, while Keys immediately applied pressure and broke twice.
But the momentum gradually shifted.
Zheng fought through the second set and forced a tiebreak, where she found another level and won 7-3. That set the stage for a deciding set that appeared to belong entirely to Keys.
The American surged ahead 5-0 and was just one game from victory.
Then everything changed.
Zheng held serve to make it 5-1. With Keys serving for the match, Zheng fought off match point and broke back, extending the contest.
From there, the Chinese star refused to let go.
She broke again, held serve and suddenly leveled the set at 5-5. Zheng then moved ahead 6-5 before serving for the match.
On her first match point, Keys sent a shot wide.
The comeback was complete.
Reuters reported that Zheng’s victory came after she recovered from the 5-0 deficit and saved a match point, while also highlighting the broader significance of her resurgence following her elbow problems and surgery.
Zheng refused to believe the match was over
Zheng later explained that she concentrated on surviving one point at a time rather than thinking about the enormous deficit.
Her approach was simple: keep fighting, keep holding serve and wait for an opportunity.
That opportunity eventually came—and once it did, Zheng seized it.
The official US Open account noted that Zheng changed the balance of the match by combining aggressive winners with greater composure, while Keys began to tighten as the finish line approached.
AP likewise described the comeback as a stunning turnaround, noting that Zheng won the final seven games after trailing 5-0 in the third set.
A comeback built on resilience
The victory carries extra significance because Zheng’s road back to the top has not been straightforward.
The Olympic champion has dealt with a right-elbow injury that required surgery and had fallen dramatically in the rankings. She entered this year’s US Open at around No. 121 and had to qualify for the main draw.
Now, she is suddenly one of the stories of the tournament.
The win also extends Zheng’s current winning streak to six matches, according to Reuters.
For Keys, the defeat was a particularly painful reversal.
Only two days earlier, the American had survived a dramatic second-round match after saving five match points against Anna Bondar. This time, however, Keys was the player who could not close out the victory.
Keys acknowledged afterward that she became increasingly unable to swing freely as the match slipped away.
Zheng now faces another huge challenge
The comeback sends Zheng into the fourth round, where she is scheduled to face either No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, or No. 25 seed Marie Bouzkova.
A meeting with Swiatek would carry particularly strong storylines.
Zheng owns a 1-7 record against Swiatek, but her lone victory came on one of the biggest stages imaginable—the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Zheng defeated the Polish star on her way to Olympic gold.
That history makes Zheng’s next match potentially one of the most anticipated contests of the women’s draw.
The bigger US Open story
Zheng’s victory was part of a chaotic day at Flushing Meadows, with several notable players suffering early exits.
Taylor Fritz also fell after blowing a two-set lead against Francisco Cerundolo, while Amanda Anisimova was eliminated by Anastasia Potapova.
But Zheng’s comeback stands apart.
She was 0-5 down, facing a match point and seemingly out of answers.
Seven games later, she was on her back celebrating one of the biggest victories of her comeback.
For a player who had to fight through qualifying, overcome injury and then recover from the edge of defeat, Zheng Qinwen’s message in New York is becoming increasingly clear:
The match isn’t over until the final point.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.S
Leave a Reply