Zheng Qinwen described Novak Djokovic's apparent obsession with his gold medal as "really funny" before jokingly adding that she would like to take a selfie with the Serb's Olympic glory.
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After failing multiple times to become an Olympic champion, the Serbian tennis star finally did it at the age of 37 during this year's Sumer Games in Paris. For the 37-year-old, it was the icing on the cake to his resume as he now officially has it all.
Although two months have passed since he overcame Carlos Alcaraz in a tight final on the clay courts of Roland Garros, Djokovic is seemingly still on Cloud 9 over achieving one of his biggest dreams. And after arriving in China for the Asian swing, he was spotted with his medal.
Zheng, who won the gold medal in the women's singles event, is currently playing in Beijing and has been through to the round-of-16. But unlike the record 24-time Grand Slam champion, she left her Olympic glory at home.
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When asked about it, the Chinese also revealed that the Serb invited her to join him for his sponsorship event at the Great Wall but she couldn't make it.
"I think this is a very funny story. People talk about Djokovic taking his gold medal everywhere he goes. It's really funny that he has the gold medal here. He actually invited me to the Great Wall, but because of the schedule, I couldn't be there. I think, indeed, the gold medal brings me a lot of energy, just like Novak. He has the gold medal everywhere he goes, from Europe to the US and all the way to China. Of course, the gold medal brought him a lot of great energy. I did not have the chance to take a picture with his gold medal. I really wish I could practice with him with his gold medal," Zheng said.
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How the Olympic win impacted Zheng?
When the 2024 season started and the 21-year-old made her maiden Grand Slam final at the Australian Open, her popularity across China and Asia rose. However, the real boom in her popularity didn't happen until she defeated Donna Vekic in the Paris Olympics final to bring a gold medal to her country.
After returning to her home country, one of the first things the world No. 7 noticed that she wasn't only getting recognized by tennis fans anymore but also by people who may not be into the game that much.
"Coming back to China I see more people recognizing me. When I was at the airport, people wouldn't recognize me if they're not interested in tennis. My fame was only within the tennis circle. 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," the Chinese said during her pre-tournament presser.
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"I did well in Australia. But after that, I wasn't very steady. Now I find it a little bit challenging going into the Finals. Indeed, I need good points from these two tournaments. I was asking my team, Why do you make me so anxious right now? I know I'm feeling the pressure going into the Finals. I have to make sure that I play well here."
So far, so good for Zheng
Following a US Open quarterfinal outing, the top-ranked Chinese tennis player took some time to rest before launching her Asian swing in Beijing last week. And so far, the No. 5 seed has been doing extremely well after crushing Kamila Rakhimova 6-1 6-1 and ousting Nadia Podoroska 6-3 6-2.
After her latest win, Zheng acknowledged that local fans have been showing some heavy support but also noted that they know how to do it in the way that helps her the most.
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"Well, I tried to use their support not as a distraction, but more as support. But I feel they already did much better than last year when I came to China. I feel today the crowd, they support when they have to support, and when they have to be quiet, they stay quiet. I feel our Chinese fans know the rules very well. I feel actually they perform as much better than the other places. I'm quite happy with them. It's not any pressure. I really enjoy to playing here," the 21-year-old explained.
When she arrived at the China Open, the home favorite - currently ninth in the Race to the WTA Finals - underlined that she was determined to do well so she could boost her chances of making the season-ending tournament.
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If she beats Amanda Anisimova in her next match and makes the quarterfinal, Zheng will be in play for some big points but also in good position to win her first WTA 1000 title.
