Qinwen Zheng made history on Sunday by defeating Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 to become the first Chinese player to win the China Open.

The former world No. 4 and reigning Olympic champion received a wildcard entry for the Beijing tournament after struggling with form and fitness following elbow surgery in 2025.

Ranked 54th in the world, Zheng claimed her first title in almost two years, breaking into tears as she celebrated the memorable victory on home soil.

“The feeling was incredible to win here in Beijing… in front of my home crowd is one of my dreams,” she said during the trophy ceremony.

“I’ve been through a very, very tough year,” the 24-year-old added. She also congratulated Andreeva on her French Open triumph earlier this year before singing to the crowd about chasing the “light of dreams.”

Zheng became the first Chinese player to lift the prestigious trophy since the tournament was established in 2004.

World No. 5 Andreeva initially looked the more consistent player, but Zheng recovered a break and stayed competitive as the pair exchanged powerful shots in an intense baseline battle.

The Chinese star demonstrated impressive resilience in the opening set, saving three set points to level the score at 5-5. She then won every remaining point in the set, producing an ace to secure the opener and delight the home crowd.

The atmosphere in Beijing was electric, with spectators passionately supporting their home favourite. However, the excitement occasionally disrupted play, as cheers broke out before points had finished and shouts for Zheng could be heard during serves.

Both players continued to hold serve in the second set until Zheng found her breakthrough in the ninth game. Delivering a series of superb shots close to the lines, she broke Andreeva to move within one game of victory at 5-4.

A double fault briefly threatened to complicate matters, but Zheng responded with an ace to convert her first match point and seal the championship.

The victory marked Zheng’s first title since defeating Sofia Kenin in Tokyo in October 2024. It was also her maiden WTA 1000 championship, adding a major achievement to her career.

Zheng and Andreeva had previously met in the quarter-finals of the 2024 China Open, where the Chinese player prevailed in three sets.

Despite missing out on the title in her first China Open final, Andreeva remained positive about her experience in Beijing.

“It was a very nice week,” the Russian said.

“I love playing in Beijing, so of course I had a very, very nice time.”

Her impressive run to the final is set to propel Andreeva to world No. 3 in the WTA rankings, giving the 19-year-old a new career-high position.