Zheng Qinwen Eliminates Swiatek at US Open After Second Straight 5-0 Comeback

By Erin Callahan Published: September 7, 2026 source: BBC Zheng Qinwen reached the US Open quarterfinals on Monday by defeating eighth seed Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3, according to BBC Sport, completing a remarkable turnaround after falling 5-0 behind in the opening set. It was the second successive match in which the 23-year-old Chinese player had recovered from that exact deficit. Swiatek, the 2022 US Open champion, held set points at both 5-1 and 5-3 in the first set but could not convert either. Zheng won 13 of the next 16 games across the two sets to close out the match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. How the Match Turned The New York Post reported that after dropping the first set, Swiatek called for a medical timeout midway through the second, with treatment appearing focused on her left leg. She briefly steadied, reaching break point at 3-3 in the second set, but Zheng saved both chances on her second serve and immediately broke back. Swiatek did not recover. The decisive moment in the second set came in the seventh game, when Zheng struck a powerful backhand return winner to earn a crucial break, then broke again two games later to close out the match. A Tournament Run Built From Qualifying This victory was Zheng's seventh straight in New York. She entered the main draw through qualifying, ranked No. 121 in the world after dropping outside the top 100 earlier this year while rebuilding from elbow surgery in July 2025. The WTA reported that at her lowest point this season she had fallen to No. 160 in the rankings. Before this run, Zheng had not strung together more than two consecutive wins since returning from surgery. Her third-round match against Madison Keys on Saturday was itself a near-elimination, with Zheng saving a match point and winning the final seven games from 5-0 down in the deciding set to win 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5. Speaking after the Swiatek win, Zheng told reporters she felt stronger with each match played and was not feeling the fatigue of seven consecutive matches. She said arriving in New York she felt fully energized, focused on raising her level inside what she called a fantastic stadium. Quarterfinal Opponent and Elsewhere in the Draw Zheng will next face either Naomi Osaka or Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. Elsewhere in the women's draw Monday, French Open winner Mirra Andreeva advanced to the last eight for the first time in her career, coming from a first-set loss to Austria's Anastasia Potapova. The win matches Zheng's best-ever result at the US Open. The result will lift her back toward the top 50 in the rankings.