MUBADALA DC OPEN

July 26, 2026

Zheng Qinwen

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to D.C. Can you give us your first impressions of the week?

ZHENG QINWEN: Obviously D.C. is a very impressed city, especially the nature I think was great, and the tournament was also good organization and a lot of fans, and that's what I like.

Q. In the first round you have to play Alex Eala. I know you played her I think three years ago at the Asian Games. I'm curious, how much do you remember that match, and are there any things that you can draw from that heading into the first round?

ZHENG QINWEN: Of course, it's a good match to play against. It's going to be tough. Like you said, last time I play against her three years ago, that's already a lot of years. So right now it's going to be totally different.

Then I'm just going to play my game, and we will see what's happen there.

Q. I wanted to ask how you think your game is transitioning to the hard court here in D.C. and if there's anything in particular you're working on at the start of the swing?

ZHENG QINWEN: I think D.C. has really good hard court, because I see they paint everything new. The speed was very correct, which means not so fast, not so slow. So I like those surfaces.

Yeah, we've been always working on my skills in the past few weeks. It's not easy, but just keep going out, you know, the serve, return, easy stroke. The things I need to improve, mobility on court, and that's it.

Q. What do you expect to be the biggest challenge in your first match tomorrow with Alex?

ZHENG QINWEN: I think the challenge for me will be playing my game as long as I can, you know, to maintain the focus from the beginning until the end. That's a huge challenge, because right now in my stage I would say most of the important things is more about myself, how I'm able to control myself on court, and to really achieve the level, yeah.

Q. I know it's still a year and some change away, but the Olympics in 2028 are I guess still coming up, and of course, you're the reigning champion. Recently there was news coming out that there would be a quick turnaround from Wimbledon to the Olympics. I'm just curious, what are your thoughts on that, the fact that there's a little bit less breathing room from Wimbledon to the Olympics?

ZHENG QINWEN: You are talking about the next Olympic Games? That's so far away to think about it. Tennis player, we like more to focus on the present. We're not going to think about Olympic Games when we are just in 2026, but I know the next one will be also -- it's going to be in Los Angeles, right? Hard court surfaces, which is I like to play on hard court.

Yeah, right now I just want to focus more on this city's tournament, because I know I got to work hard here. I really don't want to think what's going to happen two years Olympic Games.

Q. Can you share what maybe new or different routines you have been doing to get yourself back in top physical shape, both physically and mentally, to be able to, as you say, stay on top of your game for a longer period of time?

ZHENG QINWEN: Yeah, I said that many times after I coming back from injury, the most challenge for me actually is the mind. The body, the fitness actually I could recover, but the mind, you only can do that during the match, which I don't have that after I got injury.

But we've been working hard together with my team, you know, trying to practice a lot of hours with a good focus and trying to don't let myself down, because if one day I practice good, one day not, you know, in the match we'll show the same thing. Right now I'm trying to be the same every single day.

Q. You mentioned the mind, it being so important to you. How important is it just getting the wins, getting the match reps under your belt? Like, for example, last week -- not last week, but recently in Athens getting a few wins under your belt, how important is that for you in your latest journey?

ZHENG QINWEN: You are talking about the last tournament in Athens?

Q. Yeah, Athens and just how important it is for you to get some match reps or get some wins?

ZHENG QINWEN: For me, the reality is after I coming back from injury, I haven't win yet three straight match in a row. That's the reality. That's a challenge I'm facing, too.

Like I said, I just want to focus on the present. I don't want to think, like, so far what's going to coming, just to do myself every day practicing good on court. If I need to play on Monday or Tuesday, prepare the match and focus on every single point, and that's it, because at the end, how more simple you think on court as better to as tennis player. Sometimes if we're on court and we think too much, that's the worst, honestly, yeah.