China’s rising tennis star Zheng Qinwen faced a surprising early exit at Wimbledon, falling in the first round to the Czech Republic’s World No. 81, Kateřina Siniaková, on Tuesday. Despite a strong start, Zheng struggled to maintain her momentum, ultimately losing 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 after two hours and 25 minutes on Court Three.
“I wasn’t focused enough today,” Zheng admitted after the match. “I was leading 5-3 in the first set, but my concentration slipped. On grass, you don’t get many chances, and I didn’t take mine. It’s just one match—I won’t let this defeat define me.”
The loss marks Zheng’s third consecutive first-round exit at Wimbledon, a disappointing streak for the World No. 6. Her recent Grand Slam performances have been inconsistent, with early exits interrupting deeper runs at last year’s US Open and this season’s French Open where she reached the quarterfinals.
In contrast, China’s Wang Xinyu delivered an impressive performance, defeating the Czech Republic’s Karolína Muchová in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2, to advance to the second round. The 23-year-old carried over her strong form from the Berlin Open, where she reached the final before falling to Markéta Vondroušová in a thrilling three-set match.
“I’m really happy with how I played,” Wang said. “I stayed focused and took my chances when they came. I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Wang’s recent victories over top-ranked players, including a win against World No. 2 Coco Gauff at the Berlin Open, have underscored her rising status on the WTA Tour. Her next challenge at Wimbledon will be against Türkiye’s Zeynep Sönmez as she aims to continue her impressive run.
