Why Qinwen Zheng Can Win The 2025 French Open

The greatest moment of Zheng’s career occurred where the French Open is played. Iga Swiatek was an overwhelming favorite to secure a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics due to winning four titles at Roland Garros. Instead, Zheng stunned fans worldwide by having an incredible run to claim Olympic gold in Paris. Her wins included beating Swiatek in straight sets, a setback that left the Pole in tears afterward.

Although form is an important factor to consider, how comfortable players feel at a venue should not be underestimated. Many athletes repeatedly become inspired at places where they are at ease, even if results have been underwhelming at other tournaments. Zheng could be one of those.

Zheng’s Level was Much improved at her Last Tournament.

As mentioned before, Zheng’s overall form since the start of 2025 has not lived up to her high standards. However, last year’s Australian Open runner-up played her best tennis since the 2024 WTA Finals at the recent Italian Open. She reached the semifinal and only missed out on the final after losing a deciding set tiebreak against 2022 French Open runner-up Coco Gauff after a lengthy and brutal battle during the night session.

Zheng also comprehensively defeated the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinal. The 22-year-old must have received some confidence from having her best tournament of the season so close to Roland Garros, which could lead to her playing even better at the second Grand Slam of the season.

Zheng Has Proven she can Compete Against the Best Players.

Despite some tough losses against lower-ranked players in recent months, Zheng knows she can step up against top players. Those victories against Swiatek and Sabalenka in her most recent matches against them, both on clay, prove that beyond any doubt. She also pushed Gauff to a deciding set tiebreak in their last two battles at the WTA Finals and the Italian Open. Zheng is probably confident of getting wins against Gauff in the future after two matches decided by such fine margins.

Jasmine Paolini, the Italian Open champion, and Mirra Andreeva are two of the other French Open favorites. Zheng has beaten Paolini in their four previous meetings, including one on clay in the 2023 Palermo Open final. She also defeated Andreeva in their sole previous match at last year’s China Open in Beijing. The Olympic gold medalist has proven beyond any doubt that she can compete against the players widely viewed as the favorites for the 2025 French Open.

Clay Suits Zheng’s Game More Than Any Other Surface

Zheng’s Australian Open and WTA Finals runner-up finishes show her excellent level on hard courts. However, the Chinese star’s highest ceiling is on clay. The world No. 8’s heavy topspin forehand becomes much more potent on the higher-bouncing courts, and her preference for standing far back on second-serve return is less likely to cause problems. Zheng also thrives most when she has time on her groundstrokes.

Her best tennis on clay will challenge any player in the women’s draw at the French Open. Zheng also does not lack self-belief and has been open about her desire to become the world No. 1. That mindset will make it easier for her to brush off difficult results in 2025 and enter the French Open with confidence.