Zheng Qinwen and Novak Djokovic, both fresh off their Olympic gold medal victories, have returned to the court for the 2024 US Open. Zheng kicked off her campaign with a challenging three-set win over American Amanda Anisimova, triumphing 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
As the first Chinese player to win an Olympic gold in tennis, Zheng was asked about her medal during her on-court interview following her victory. She humorously admitted that she didn’t have her medal with her at the moment, before making a light-hearted comment about Djokovic, saying she was sure he would always have his medal close by.
“Like you said… I don’t have my gold medal with me,” Zheng Qinwen remarked. “But I know Djokovic has his medal with him, that was amazing.”
Zheng, who has previously expressed her admiration for Djokovic, also emphasized that she doesn’t dwell on past accomplishments. Instead, her focus is on performing well in upcoming tournaments. She thanked her fans for their support and spoke about her mindset going into the competition.
“I’m happy about what I did in the past. I just want to focus here. Thanks to all the crowd for coming to support me today,” she added.
Approaching each tournament with a fresh perspective, Zheng made it clear that she starts from scratch, regardless of previous successes. She emphasized that she doesn’t view herself as an Olympic champion when entering the US Open but as just another player ready to fight for every match.
“I had this experience already, so this time when I had success in the Olympic Games, I told myself that everything starts from zero,” the 21-year-old explained.
“You are no longer an Olympic champion in the context of the next match. Just be humble and try to work hard, fight every single match, because if you don’t fight, you have a big chance of losing,” she added.
On the opening day of the 2024 US Open, Olympic champions Zheng Qinwen and Novak Djokovic headlined the action. After her victory over Anisimova, Zheng is set to face rising star Erika Andreeva in the second round.
Meanwhile, fellow Olympic gold medalist Novak Djokovic is also scheduled to take to the court on Day 1, where he will compete against Radu Albot in his opening round. Zheng’s most notable performance at the US Open came last year when she reached the quarterfinals, overcoming players like Ons Jabeur and Kaia Kanepi. Djokovic, a four-time champion of the tournament, is aiming to add another title to his impressive resume.
