Iga Swiatek knew going into her round-of-16 match against Zheng Qinwen at the 2026 US Open that the Chinese player was not going to give up easily. Zheng had reached the round only after winning three straight three-set matches (four if you count her final qualifying match), and in two of those she had lost the opening set.
That included being down 0-5 to Madison Keys in the third set of the third round. Zheng needed a miraculous comeback to even be able to play the Polish player, and she got it.
In the first set against Swiatek, Zheng was down 0-5, creating too many unforced errors and struggling with Swiatek's pace. The opening set seemed destined to be lost by the Chinese player again, but that didn't mean she was going to lose the match.
Zheng Qinwen stuns Iga Swiatek in the fourth round of the 2026 US Open
She almost didn't lose the first set, though. Zheng got two breaks back and was shockingly on serve at 4-5. Swiatek was beginning to not hit the ball as solidly, many times accidentally hitting with her frame. It was Zheng who was dictating points with power.
The two players are less than two years apart in age, but the Pole has had the far more successful career so far. She has six Grand Slam titles, including winning the US Open in 2022. Zheng has made one final of a major, but didn't win. She did win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, however.
Maybe more importantly, they had played eight times before, and Swiatek had won seven times. The only win for Zheng in the series came during the Olympics. Both players normally perform with confidence, but Swiatek knew how much she had dominated the head-to-head with Zheng.
Yet, stunningly, for the second set in a row over two matches, Zheng had come back from 0-5 down to win a set. Swiatek knew she was capable of being the Chinese player, but she had also just seen a five-game lead erased and a set lost. Between the first and second sets, Swiatek needed to take a break and headed to the locker room.
Zheng appears to be the first player to come from 0-5 to win two consecutive sets in the history of tennis. She obviously had all the momentum heading into the second set.
Swiatek also appeared to start struggling with a left thigh issue, though she continued to move well. She simply couldn't keep up with her opponent. Zheng pressed Swiatek often on her serve, and then finally broke through midway through the set. She got another to finish off the set and match, taking set two 6-3.
Zheng Qinwen will next play the winner of the match between Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. Rybakina is trying to at least reach the semifinals. Doing so will secure her the WTA No. 1 ranking after the tournament is over.
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