Zheng triumphs over Stephens 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the third round of the Miami Open
Both players have graced the top five on the WTA rankings, but not without facing persistent injury challenges. The thirty-three-year-old American, Sloane Stephens, secured her place in history as the 2017 US Open champion, reaching a career-high ranking of #3. On the other hand, Qinwen Zheng from China made headlines as a finalist at the 2024 Australian Open and achieved her peak ranking at #4.
Stephens has battled various foot injuries, leading her to undergo surgery on her left foot in 2022. Although her current rank is #717, she received a wild card to enter the main draw.
Zheng, ten years younger, has faced elbow issues and a dip in form since last summer. In July, she announced her right elbow surgery, sidelining her for several months.
After making her comeback at the China Open last September, Zheng had to retire during her third-round match due to persistent elbow pain. Even though she skipped the 2026 Australian Open, she participated in the Abu Dhabi Open (l. Rybakina) and last week at Indian Wells (l. Ruzic). Currently, she ranks 26th and is seeded 23rd.
[Photo/Agencies]
Although Zheng has emerged victorious in both of their competitive encounters, they haven’t faced each other since 2022. In this match, Stephens opted to receive after winning the toss, while Zheng chose to switch sides.
Zheng kicked off strong with her first ace and held her serve at love, while Stephens responded with a stunning cross-court backhand to equalize. Zheng’s third game saw a shaky start with a double fault, but she held her serve to lead 2-1. The 2017 US Open champion rallied with her first ace but faltered with two double faults, facing two deuce points yet managing to hold for 2-2.
Zheng’s footwork shone, but her serving left room for improvement as she missed five consecutive first serves, including another double fault that led to a lost serve. Stephens couldn’t capitalize, surrendering her lead with three unforced errors.
Despite hitting her third double fault to begin the seventh game, Zheng recovered, holding her serve with two aces. On the flip side, Stephens, now serving with fresh balls, pressured her opponent into errors but also committed quite a few of her own, especially with her forehand. She confronted three deuce points, one break point, and, after netting a backhand, lost her serve. Zheng then started the ninth game with her fourth ace and quickly achieved triple set point, sealing the first set with an unreturnable serve.
Stephen served first in the second set but quickly faced an 0-30 deficit, losing her serve after consecutive winners from Zheng. The 23rd seed struggled with 3/5 first serves but managed to consolidate the break with a powerful serve up the tee.
As the match progressed, Stephens began to unravel, giving up her serve after five more errors, one being her third double fault. Zheng maintained solid serving with 4/6 first serves, holding at 30 and extending her lead to 4-0. Facing difficulty, Stephens again double-faulted and battled through four deuce points and a break point but held her serve when Zheng overcooked her return.
In the sixth game, Zheng dazzled with three consecutive winners, including two aces, and held at love for 5-1. With Stephens trying to stay alive in the match, she successfully landed 5/5 first serves, holding effortlessly to 15, which forced Zheng to serve for the match. The 2024 Aussie Open finalist did just that, finishing with a massive serve out wide.
Though the match unfolded in a somewhat muted manner, Zheng systematically dominated her opponent, winning an impressive 84% of first serve and 65% of second serve points, successfully converting 4/6 break points. Her return game also topped charts, with 36% of first serve and an astounding 74% of second serve return points won.
Looking ahead, Zheng is set to face yet another American, Madison Keys, in her next match. The 2025 Australian Open champion and former world #5 stands at the current rank of 18 and is seeded 15. This matchup marks their second encounter on the tour, having last played in 2023 at the Citi DC Open, where Keys clinched victory in straight sets.
