ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2022

Qinwen Zheng

Press Conference

Q. ZHENG/S. Halep

2-6, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. It's only your second Grand Slam, your first Roland Garros, you beat the 19th seed. How are you feeling right now?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Well, actually I feel really nice. You know, everybody knows it's a second Grand Slam for me, so I very enjoy every chance that I stand on court. I try to give my best like always and I'm glad that my performance today.

Q. Today you faced a great champion, a former champion here, two-time Grand Slam champion, and you were able to get the win and perform great in the third set calmly, closing it out. What were your expectations before the match? Did you think it was possible to beat Simona?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Well, yes, I believe that there's always chance to beat opponent. It doesn't who is in front of me, that she has much more experience than me, and she's a very good player, like you say, two-time Grand Slam champion. That's wonderful.

And I try to always like give my best and also I was coming back from injury, so I was taking care a lot every chance I step on court, yeah.

Q. You obviously played Simona in January, and now you get the win. What did you learn from that match that you were able to implement today and how much does it show you how much your tennis has improved?

QUINWEN ZHENG: In that match I learned a lot, that she was very consistent player and in that moment I wasn't have too much patience on court, so this time I tried to stay with her more on court, trying to be more patient, find the chance to win the rally, and that's what I learned.

So I'm glad that I can perform on court today and that's how I get the win.

Q. What is your first memory of the French Open? Did you watch it and what are the first matches you remember watching?

QUINWEN ZHENG: The first match I remember I watch in French Open was in the final. I think Nadal against Roger. Yeah. That was like really early memories.

Q. Then the obvious question for a Chinese player, did you watch Na Li when she won?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Oh, this, of course, yes, yes, (laughing) because she's my idol and I always think about that.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

QUINWEN ZHENG: But, of course, yes. In that moment I was still a child and then she gave me a dream that, oh, the Asia player, the Chinese player, also can won the Grand Slam and in that moment that I have the dream in my heart that I want to do it like her, yeah.

Q. I saw that on the paper that you are training in Spain. Is that right?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Yes.

Q. So when and how you move to Spain to train and what is your purpose to choose Spain as a tennis, your placement?

QUINWEN ZHENG: I've been training in Spain two years ago. And since I've here, all the Spanish player, they are working really hard, and in that moment, I was still junior and I think that's what I need and in these two years I've been improving a lot, so I think this way was working on me and I think I should continue on that.

Q. In the past when I've spoken to you, you've talked about how you know you can hit the ball big and hit the ball powerfully, but pulling together your game is something that you're learning with your coach, how to kind of put it all together. How would you, can you talk about what the biggest things that you've learned in terms of how to do that, how to maintain your game while playing consistently, like you said?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Well, I've been watching a lot the tennis videos, so I try to learn from the best player what they have and I try to put together as my game and I think that's working on me.

Like you say, that I have a very powerful game and I think for me it's important the patience I have and then to be aggressive in the same time and I'm still learning and I hope I can do it better.

Q. You mentioned you watched videos of players to learn from. Which particular players do you like to study?

QUINWEN ZHENG: (Laughing.) Okay. I'm watching a lot, Djokovic, and then of course Roger Federer, Nadal, all the best players, and yeah, others that are the best.

Q. As she said, you said you are still learning to play tennis in many ways. So does beating Halep now in a Grand Slam mean you learned a lot?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Yes. That was one of important experience on me, to stand on big stadium to beat a great player. Yeah, I think I should continue this process. Like what I say, I'm still learning that I have a lot of to do it better.

Q. What did you like most about your performance today, maybe specific elements of your game?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Yeah. At the beginning, I was a little struggling, and I see that after 1-2, I start to be more patient, stay with her more, and trying to find my game.

And also, when I can step inside the court, don't always wait behind of the line. When I make a change there and since there I start to like to put myself out and to really play my tennis in that moment.

Q. You might play, maybe, another Grand Slam champion next with Jelena Ostapenko. What do you think of her as a player and what do you think will be the challenge if you play her?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Well, I think that she's a very powerful player, this absolutely. So, yeah, like I said, they're still playing right now, no?

Q. Yes, they're still playing.

QUINWEN ZHENG: So we don't know yet who I play. I will always give my best like I do on court and just focus on me and trying to win point by point.

Q. A question about the clay. It seems to me like your game's pretty well suited for the surface, the type of heavy top spin balls you hit. Would you say that clay is good for you and do you enjoy playing on it?

QUINWEN ZHENG: Yes, the people say that, yeah, I'm better on clay, my game is more clay court player. And, yeah, I trying to like put really heavy spin today during the match also, and, yeah, I like clay a lot. But I prefer hard court. Yeah, I like clay a lot, I prefer hard court.