ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 3, 2023

Qinwen Zheng

Press Conference

Qinwen ZHENG/A. Kontaveit

6-1, 4-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Just talk us through how you were feeling out there on court and just the match overall.

QINWEN ZHENG: Well, today the match was being really hard, but actually I got a lot of chances in the second set. I was leading 4-2 up, and at that moment I was not focused, and I let the opponent come back into the match in the second set. This is tennis, and I'm happy I'm able to hold the pressure in the third set in the tiebreak and to get win the first match of the year.

Q. That was your fifth win against a top-20 player in the past six matches against them, seven match points. How much do you thrive playing these big opponents in big matches?

QINWEN ZHENG: I always know that I have the level to beat all of them. It's just a problem I have to show it on court.

Also today everybody knows that I was leading 4-2 in the second set. If I can do better there, I can close the match in two sets, but I cannot do it in that moment, but it's okay. I accept in that moment, and it was tennis. That match started to be really difficult in the third set. She got a match point, and me, I got match point, also.

Yeah, we had a really tough moment. But anyway, I'm so happy to win my first match of the season.

Q. You've risen about 100 places in the ranking in the past year; what have you learnt about yourself and your game in that rapid improvement?

QINWEN ZHENG: Yeah, I learned a lot from the last past year, especially here all the girls they are playing really good. You can never relax until the last point is over.

Today I was a little bit relaxed, and look what happened; the match become really tough.

Yes, there's a lot of experience for me. A lot has happened the last one year. I've been playing all the Grand Slams, all the big matches. That gave me a lot of confidence and experience ready for this year to go fight for more.

Q. Given your improvement, what are your hopes, your aspirations for 2023?

QINWEN ZHENG: Yeah, I say that in 2023 I wish I can become a top 10 first. But it's a long way. I still have a lot to improve, and I want to play match by match, and let's see what happens and when I can get there.

Q. Can I get your reaction to the COVID protocols for Chinese travelers arriving in Australia, what your thoughts were on it or whether it was any issue for you?

QINWEN ZHENG: Actually I don't know too much because I come directly from Barcelona. I've been there practicing all the preseason there, so I cannot give you too much information about that, sorry.

Q. Have you spoken to any of your fellow Chinese players or people traveling from China and what they thought about it?

QINWEN ZHENG: I speak a little bit, but I thought it's just one flight to come, and that's it.

Q. What age did you start playing tennis, and what inspired you to become a professional tennis player?

QINWEN ZHENG: I start to play tennis when I was seven years old, and I started wanting to become a professional player when I was 10 years old. I had this dream quite early.

Q. How would you deal with a win or a loss and what would you recommend junior players like me to do?

QINWEN ZHENG: I'm not good at loss because I cry a lot when I lose one match. When I was a junior, it's the same. I think when I was a junior that I can become better, but now I'm 20 years old, and when I lose, it's still big emotion attack me and still crying.

Yes, it's tough for everybody to lose, but because a loss is so painful, so when a win come, I think we should enjoy more.

Q. What do you like to do when you are not playing tennis?

QINWEN ZHENG: I like to do a lot of things. I like to draw, and I like to read books, and especially when I'm in the weekend, I like to go out for little shopping with my family.