China’s Qinwen Zheng will bid to win the Australian Open a decade after her idol Li Na with the help of the Spanish coach who won the last US Open.
Na became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam at the French Open in 2011 and then triumphed here in 2014.
And the former world No.2 has returned to Melbourne this week to meet the No.12 seed for the first time during her run to her maiden Grand Slam final – and offer words of inspiration.
“That was a really special feeling for me,” Zheng said. “I love her. I feel she’s much more beautiful than when I saw her on TV before.
“She said to me: ‘Don’t think too much, just keep it simple.’ I think that’s what I need to do. She means a lot I think to all the Chinese kids the same age as me. She’s the first one who won the Slams. That’s unbelievable for Asian women.
“Of course it is special to reach my first final here. Li Na won here. So that can’t be more special than here in the Australian Open. We have lot of Chinese supporting me in the stadium. It feels like I’m playing in China. That’s amazing.”
Zheng has reached the final without facing a top 50 Player will be the huge underdog against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The world No.2 has won 26 of her past 27 sets at Melbourne Park and is 10-1 this season after reaching the final in Brisbane.
Sabalenka and Zheng have met once before in the quarter-finals of last year’s US Open when the Belarusian won 6-1 6-4 on her way to the final.
Sabalenka lost a thrilling final to Coco Gauff who then had Pere Riba on her coaching team. The Spanish former ATP player, 35, started coaching Zheng in 2021 before they split after the French Open.
Riba joined the Gauff team after Wimbledon to guide her to her first Grand Slam title before reuniting with Zheng in November. “We know Aryna, and we know it’s going to be a really complicated match,” he said. “I believe she is the favourite.”
But the Spaniard added: “I always think that all experiences help you. I’m a humble guy who tries to learn from everyone.
“And, yes, the US Open was a really amazing moment. Of course this experience is helping here, and I’m trying that when I learn something to try to explain or to teach to the player.”
