Fisette stated that Zheng Qinwen aims to achieve Grand Slam titles and the world number one goal, and her first-round opponent has been determined.

Zheng Qinwen has not yet officially appeared at Indian Wells, but the amount of information about China's top female player is almost overwhelming.

Especially during the Indian Wells media day interview, when she mentioned her desire to face Serena Williams at her peak, many exclaimed that Zheng was born in the wrong era. If she had been born a decade or so earlier, she would definitely have had the chance to compete against the former dominant force in women's tennis and fulfill her wish.

Some fans and netizens even joked that even Li Na, the absolute leading figure of Chinese women's tennis in her prime, struggled to challenge Serena Williams. They wondered what kind of score Zheng Qinwen would achieve if she had been born in that era of fierce competition among top players, and whether her record against Serena would be more dazzling than Li Na's.

Of course, Zheng Qinwen's bold statement is related to her consistent emphasis on "liking challenges." However, Serena Williams is now 44 years old, and even if she were to return, it's unlikely she could recreate the "queen returns forever" scenario. Naturally, Zheng's wish can only be imagined and is difficult to realize. Otherwise, how would the current generation of young female tennis players feel? It would be quite awkward if a group of young players couldn't defeat a 44-year-old veteran.

Therefore, when current coach Fisette was asked about Zheng Qinwen's potential during an interview at Indian Wells on Wednesday, it immediately sparked interest. People wanted to hear how this renowned coach, known as a "golden touch" in tennis, would evaluate his former student.

Fisette's connection with Zheng Qinwen originated from Pere Riba losing a bet agreement, leading to his removal from the team in 2023. When this famous tennis coach quickly took over China's top female player, many were optimistic about their collaboration. Some supporters even claimed that with Fisette's help, Zheng Qinwen's first Grand Slam title would come soon.

Just as they teamed up to win her first career title and seemed to be progressing well in their partnership, unexpectedly, the mentor-student relationship between Zheng Qinwen and Fisette ended abruptly and in a discordant manner.

Although Fisette coached Zheng Qinwen for a short time, as someone who understands China's top female player well, he is clearly suitable to provide this answer to the public.

"She can become the best in the world." From Fisette's statement, it's evident that he holds a high level of recognition for Zheng Qinwen. However, the Belgian coach also emphasized one condition: China's top female player must maintain her physical health.

When mentioning Zheng Qinwen, Fisette stated that she is a "truly hardworking player" with very high self-demands. To achieve her goals, "she is willing to pay any price," and she often plays through injuries, unwilling to withdraw from matches.

It can be said that Fisette's comprehensive evaluation of Zheng Qinwen indirectly explains that sometimes her withdrawals are unavoidable, not due to "running away when unable to win" or "fearing loss while wanting to win," as some outsiders perceive.

"She has a clear dream: to win a Grand Slam championship and become world number one." Fisette emphasized that in Zheng Qinwen's heart, winning a Grand Slam title and becoming world number one are her unwavering lofty goals. Without achieving these two objectives, "she will not stop striving."

Fisette's evaluation of Zheng Qinwen, combined with her self-assessment at Indian Wells stating "feeling physically well," makes everyone eager to see what kind of performance Zheng will deliver when she leaves this desert city.

Currently, Zheng Qinwen's first-round opponent at Indian Wells has been confirmed: she will face Croatian player Ruzic.

The process by which Ruzic became Zheng Qinwen's first-round opponent is somewhat surprising!

When competing against former Australian Open finalist Brady for the chance to challenge Zheng Qinwen, Ruzic lost the first set 3-6 and was in a very passive situation. While everyone thought Zheng Qinwen and Brady, both Australian Open finalists, would likely engage in a strong showdown in the second round, waiting to see who would perform better, unexpectedly the Croatian player suddenly surged, winning two consecutive sets 6-4 and 6-2 to stage a strong comeback and meet China's top female player in the second round.

Now, seeing Zheng Qinwen's first-round match against world No. 57 Ruzic, many are more concerned than they were with the previously predicted Brady. Besides the good form Ruzic displayed by reversing Brady, she also recently defeated Rybakina at the Dubai 1000 tournament. Zheng Qinwen will need to prepare thoroughly and give her full effort to secure a successful start in her debut, especially since she has been in rest mode after Doha, and her current condition is unknown!（Source: Tennis Home Author: Moon River's Sky）