The fate of the 11 Chinese female tennis stars is a tale of extremes, with Zheng Qinwen making a strong comeback and drawing a favorable seed, earning her the title of the luckiest girl.

Once the China Open women's singles draw was unveiled, numerous people felt that excitement surged with the arrival of Zheng Qinwen!

Her abrupt withdrawal before the Billie Jean King Cup finals sparked doubts about whether Zheng Qinwen would compete in the China Open this year. Moreover, the tournament's promotion highlighted 14 Grand Slam champions, completely omitting Zheng from the posters, which further dampened hopes for the Chinese top player’s appearance at this 1000-level event.

However, some humorously pointed out that after Sabalenka and Keys withdrew, Zheng Qinwen’s chances of playing likely increased. The reasoning: Sabalenka is Zheng’s biggest rival on hard courts, so without such a strong opponent, the psychological pressure lessens; plus, being seeded in the top eight could allow her to avoid facing higher-ranked seeds early on, making this a perfect opportunity for her comeback. It’s believed Zheng won’t miss this chance, as entering the Wuhan 1000 event unprepared could bring even more challenges.

Especially after photos surfaced of Zheng Qinwen training on the China Open’s Diamond Court, confidence grew that the Chinese top player would indeed return at this 1000-level tournament. Now with the draw released and her name clearly listed, previous fan and netizen speculations have been confirmed.

Zheng Qinwen's comeback at the China Open comes with quite favorable luck in the draw, with many calling it an excellent seed!

According to the draw, Zheng Qinwen, seeded seventh, receives a first-round bye; in the second round, she will face either Wang Yafan or Lamens, with a strong chance to advance. Therefore, supporters believe Zheng should face little challenge in the first three rounds, and she is confident about defeating the high-seeded Andreyeva she may meet later.

Last year, Zheng Qinwen played Andreyeva at the China Open, even bringing the young Russian player to tears. Notably, Zheng admitted after the match she hadn’t given her all, sparking widespread discussion. Fans joked that if she hadn’t been holding back, she might have overwhelmed “Little Spicy,” possibly causing her to suffer a breakdown from the pressure.

Seeing Zheng draw such a favorable seed right after her return, some frankly say that fate seems to favor her, recognizing how tough a comeback is. If she had drawn a poor seed and suffered a heavy loss early on, rebuilding confidence quickly would be difficult, making expectations for Wuhan even harder to meet.

Interestingly, some joked in discussions that “being favored at home is only fair; if she didn’t get this advantage, it would almost force her to withdraw due to incomplete recovery, and the China Open would lose a major highlight.”

Thus, among the large group of 11 Chinese female players, many believe Zheng Qinwen has the best chance to progress the furthest.

Another player expected to go deep in the China Open is China’s second-ranked Wang Xinyu.

Although Wang Xinyu did not make an impact at the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Shenzhen leading the Chinese team, her performance and fighting spirit against Boulter left a strong impression.

Seeded 31st at the China Open and receiving a first-round bye, most expect Wang to easily overcome Zhang Shuai or a qualifier in the second round. However, facing the new Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Anisimova in the third round makes her path uncertain.

Zhu Lin also drew a decent first-round match, and given her current form, passing a qualifier should not be difficult. Yet, facing Andreyeva in the second round will require Zhu Lin to summon every ounce of determination to succeed.

Other Chinese players have tougher draws! Zhang Rui faces Lis, Shi Han challenges Kessler, and Yuan Yue meets Putintseva, all difficult matchups to overcome.

Wei Sijia’s draw against Sammez is considered acceptable, but given the Guangxi player’s inconsistent form and strength, concerns remain. Some joked that besides Zheng Qinwen and Wang Xinyu, Guo Hanyu and Wang Xiyu are the least worrisome in the first round since their matches are intra-Chinese clashes, guaranteeing at least one Chinese player advances to the second round regardless of outcome.

Although Zheng Qinwen is viewed as the most favored among the Chinese players and dubbed the luckiest by many fans and netizens, some caution against excessive optimism. After all, Zheng has just returned, and her form remains uncertain. It’s premature to conclude she will be the furthest advancing Chinese player. Others’ draws seem less favorable, but surprises and dark horses are common on the tour!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)