Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen rallied from a 5-0 deficit and saved a match point in the third set to defeat 22nd seed Madison Keys 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, advancing to the US Open fourth round on Saturday after a remarkable two-hour and 28-minute comeback.
Tennis matches can turn on a single strike, but few pivots match the sheer reversal witnessed on the Grandstand grounds in New York. Zheng Qinwen looked entirely out of contention during the opening stages of her third-round clash against American favourite Madison Keys. Yet, after dropping the first set in just 23 minutes and falling behind 5-0 in the decider, the Chinese star orchestrated a stunning escape to reach the Round of 16.
How Zheng Overcame a 5-0 Deficit in the Decider
Keys controlled the early exchanges entirely, dictating play and winning 20 of the final 23 points to secure the opening set with clinical ease. The second set brought a shift in momentum as Keys’ level dipped slightly while Zheng rose to the occasion, eventually breaking serve and dominating a subsequent tiebreak 7-3 to level the match.
Even so, the third set appeared to be a straightforward march for Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion who built a commanding 5-0 lead and held match point. Instead, Zheng reeled off seven consecutive games. She capitalised on a sudden shift in her opponent’s composure to snatch the deciding set 7-5.
Zheng Qinwen noted via WTA Tennis that she felt she had started the third set really well, adding that in the first three games she felt she really couldn’t do anything and just did what she had to do while her opponent hit incredibly, before noticing suddenly after winning the first game in the third set that there was some potential doubt or that her opponent was not as clean as before.
Rebuilding Form After Elbow Surgery
The victory marks a major milestone in a difficult rebuilding phase for the 23-year-old. After undergoing elbow surgery last year, Zheng struggled to string wins together, failing to win more than two consecutive matches upon her return and watching her ranking slip to No. 160 before entering the tournament at No. 121.
Having begun her Flushing Meadows campaign through the qualifying rounds, the Olympic gold medalist has now secured six straight victories in New York. Upon sealing the match, an emotional Zheng threw herself to the floor in relief.
Zheng Qinwen stated via WTA Tennis that things had not been easy after the surgery and that it felt like she had lost a bit of her energy on the tennis court, having been through really tough moments over the last three, four, or five months, but that they had been working really hard so the hard work had finally paid off a bit, while also expressing her desire to first thank her team for bringing her there and to keep going.
A Crushing Missed Opportunity for Keys
For Keys, the defeat leaves a lingering sense of disbelief after coming within a single point of victory at 5-1 in the final set. The loss marks the end of a campaign where the 22nd seed had previously demonstrated immense grit, including coming through a dramatic encounter against Anna Bondar in the second round.
Madison Keys reflected via WTA Tennis that she had obviously got off to a really good lead before getting really scared to the point where she felt like she couldn’t swing, noting that tennis felt really hard right now and that feeling seemed to take over, and explaining that in the end she believed her opponent started playing better while she started playing poorly, which made her feel like she couldn’t play tennis anymore and suddenly made the situation feel like a much bigger deal than just playing a tennis match.
Chasing History at the US Open
By reaching the fourth round, Zheng emulates a notable piece of recent tournament history. She is the first qualifier to reach the women’s singles fourth round at the US Open since Britain’s Emma Raducanu went on to claim the 2021 title.
Replicating Raducanu’s championship run remains a distant prospect, particularly with a daunting fourth-round fixture against No. 8 seed Iga Swiatek awaiting her. Yet, after staring down elimination in the third set, Zheng’s fortnight in New York has transformed from a tentative comeback into one of the most compelling narratives of the tournament.
