US Open champ Sabalenka chases year-end number one ranking

Paris Olympics champion Zheng Qinwen said on Tuesday she hopes to use the fervent support of the home crowd to propel her to a first China Open title.

The world number seven is back in Beijing fresh from making history as the first Chinese player to win an Olympic singles tennis gold. The China Open, which begins on Wednesday, is a WTA 1000 event and among the most prestigious in the women’s tennis calendar.

“People start to get tired at the end of the season. For me it’s different,” said the 21-year-old Zheng, finalist at the Australian Open. “I’m really motivated to come and play in China, in front of my people. I know they’re going to support me.”

With that comes pressure, but Zheng says she is physically fresh, has prepared well and has “big expectations” of herself.

After Beijing, the player dubbed “Queen Wen” will play the Wuhan Open.

“I think I don’t consider that like big pressure,” she said of the support she will receive in the coming weeks. “I will consider it like big support. Especially when I’m feeling down, I see all the people support me.

She added: “It is quite different to play in China compared to rest of the world. I know basically all of them, going to be 95 percent of the crowd, they are going to support me. “It is a big confidence. Is also a big energy there when I’m playing on court.”

Zheng sees a difference now compared to before she was the Olympic champion.

“When I was at the airport, people wouldn’t recognise me if they’re not interested in tennis. My fame was only within the tennis circle,” she told a packed press conference in the Chinese capital. “But now when I go to a restaurant, people ask me for autographs. “I feel the impact. I feel a sense of responsibility now here in China.”

Chief among Zheng’s title rivals at the China Open will be the top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who comfortably beat her in the Australian Open final at the start of the year.

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka said on Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings.

The world number two is the top seed at the China Open this week following the withdrawal of top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, because of undisclosed “personal matters”.

Fresh from winning the US Open, Sabalenka can take a large step towards overhauling the Pole at the top of the rankings with victory in Beijing.

“Of course that’s one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one,” the Belarusian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year for a second time, said. But the 26-year-old added: “I’m not trying to focus on that, I’m trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left.

“I’m just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I’ll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one.”

The three-time major champion first became world number one a year ago, before being usurped by Swiatek.

“To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It’s good to know that you’ve been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training, wasn’t a waste of time,” she said.

Sabalenka will be playing for the first time since beating Jessica Pegula in the final in New York earlier this month. She has a bye in the first round.

Pegula also features at the prestigious 1000 WTA hardcourt event in the Chinese capital, along with fellow American Coco Gauff, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka and China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. The competition begins on Wednesday. A men’s ATP 500 event runs alongside the women’s tournament.

Agencies