Mirra Andreeva just dropped the China Open final, falling in straight sets to Qinwen Zheng, 7-5, 6-4. It was a tough battle for the 19-year-old, who was chasing her first WTA 1000 title of the season, and what would have been her third overall. Zheng, on the other hand, made history, clinching her maiden WTA 1000 title and becoming the first Chinese player to win the tournament in Beijing since it was brought back in 2004.
Andreeva’s Honest Reflection on the Missed Chances
After the match, when asked about any regrets, Andreeva didn’t hold back. She pointed directly to the set points she had, specifically two of them, and wished she had played them differently. On the first set point, she recalled Zheng serving a “great serve” on the T. Andreeva admitted her return wasn’t good, and after a plus-one and a lob, Zheng finished it with a smash. She felt there wasn’t “much I could do” there.
But it was the second set point where the real regret settled in. It was a second serve, and Andreeva knew she “could have taken more risk.” She explained, “I kind of went for it, but I still wanted it to be kind of safe.” Even though she thought it was a good return and a long point, the feeling lingered: “Maybe I could have taken more risk, try to be more aggressive.” The third set point also slipped away with Zheng finishing it with a volley. Andreeva acknowledged that if she could go back, she would “do something different of course to try to change the outcome.” She knows it is what it is now, but she’s already looking to learn for her “next match.”
Credit Where Credit is Due: Zheng’s Incredible Comeback
Despite the sting of the loss, Andreeva was classy, giving full credit to Zheng. She noted Zheng “played great” and appreciated the kind words Zheng had for her. Andreeva also recognized the incredible comeback story Zheng is living. Zheng, 24, had surgery after Wimbledon in 2025 and spent most of that season’s second half on the sidelines. She only returned to action in February of this year and had to battle her way back into the rankings after falling outside the top 100.
Earlier this year at the US Open, Zheng, a former world number four, fought through qualifying and took down Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek on her way to the quarterfinals. Her win in Beijing is a huge step in getting back to her career-high ranking. Andreeva believes Zheng is “going to be raising her level even more soon.” For Andreeva, her next stop is Wuhan for the final WTA 1000 event of the season, where she’s seeded third. We’ll be watching to see if she brings that aggressive, no-regrets mindset to the court there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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