The Chinese star, who entered the tournament as a wildcard after returning from an elbow injury, produced a composed performance to overcome the world No. 5 and become the first Chinese woman to win the China Open singles title since the tournament joined the WTA Tour in 2004.
Zheng rallies to take a tense opening set
The final began with both players exchanging breaks as Zheng looked to impose her powerful forehand and dictate rallies from the baseline.
Andreeva, the reigning French Open champion, appeared to gain control when she moved ahead 5-4 in the opening set. The Russian then threatened to break Zheng’s serve and take the set, but the home favourite saved three set points to remain in contention.
Zheng responded with greater aggression, capitalising on Andreeva’s errors before securing the decisive break to win the opening set 7-5.
The Chinese player’s resilience proved crucial, as she won the final 11 points of the set to seize the advantage.
Home favourite seals maiden WTA 1000 crown
The second set remained closely contested, with neither player able to establish a comfortable lead.
At 4-4, Zheng continued to put pressure on Andreeva’s serve. After the Russian saved three break points, Zheng eventually secured the crucial break to move within one game of the championship.
Serving for the title, the Chinese star faced another moment of pressure but recovered with an ace and decisive groundstrokes to complete a 7-5, 6-4 victory in approximately one hour and 43 minutes.
Injury comeback reaches a memorable milestone
The triumph marked Zheng’s first title since winning in Tokyo in 2024 and her sixth career WTA Tour singles crown.
Her victory was particularly significant after an elbow injury to her dominant right arm disrupted her progress and kept her away from competition for much of 2025 and early 2026.
Returning to Beijing as a wildcard, the Olympic champion delivered a strong run through the draw, defeating Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the semi-finals before overcoming Andreeva in the final.
Zheng’s success also ended the wait for a Chinese singles champion at the tournament, giving the home crowd a historic moment to celebrate.
Andreeva set for ranking rise despite defeat
Although Andreeva was unable to secure the title, her run to the final capped another notable tournament for the 19-year-old Russian.
The French Open champion is projected to rise to world No. 3 in the WTA rankings following the tournament, despite losing to Zheng.
For Zheng, the victory offers renewed momentum as she continues her comeback and prepares for the Wuhan Open, which begins on Monday. The home favourite will now aim to build on her breakthrough WTA 1000 success and move back towards the top 20.