'No one supported me' - Qinwen Zheng relishes in newfound fame after defeating Emma Raducanu at Queen's Club

Having to face a former Grand Slam champion in front of her home crowd could be daunting, but Zheng Qinwen showed little fear as she defeated Britain's Emma Raducanu to reach the semifinals of the 2025 Queen's Club Championships.

The Chinese star battled past McCartney Kessler in her opening round match, needing three sets to overcome the big-hitting American. However, Zheng had a relatively easier time against Raducanu in the quarterfinals, hitting five aces en route to a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory on Andy Murray Arena.

Zheng pleased at her recent spike in popularity

The 2024 Olympic gold medalist is one of the more popular players on the WTA Tour, although this was not always the case. During her post-match interview after defeating Raducanu, the World No.5 admitted to not having many supporters outside of China during her first year on tour. However, her improved play and consistent results have lead to her being a well-known figure in the tennis community.

"The crowd was very British," began the interviewer after Zheng's match. "But you have a lot of Chinese fans as well. What’s it like having such a big following all around the world?”

“It feels good," admitted the Chinese No.1. "I remember the first year when I played on tour, no one supported me. I had to get through a lot of matches like that. Now I get a lot of support. I can use this energy to play better tennis. I’m such a lucky girl."

Next up for Zheng is American Amanda Anisimova, who defeated compatriot Emma Navarro in straight sets to reach the final four in London.