Wuhan plays its aces to cash in on tennis fever

Fresh off her Olympic victory, Zheng Qinwen embarked on a grueling stretch of four consecutive tournaments, culminating in a runner-up finish at the Wuhan Open, her hometown event, earlier this month.

Battling fatigue and a slight muscle strain in her left leg, "Queen Wen" made the tough decision to withdraw from last week's Ningbo Open, officially ending the China leg of her season.

But the 22-year-old's remarkable performances — reaching the semifinals at the China Open and securing a spot in the Wuhan Open final — were enough to secure her first-ever qualification for the prestigious WTA Finals next month.

In a parallel storyline, 11-year-old Li Mengxiao, also from Wuhan, Hubei province, is chasing her own tennis dreams. Ranked 41st in the girls' U12 category by the Chinese Tennis Association, Mengxiao is still more than 1,300 points shy of qualifying for her year-end championship. But the young hopeful plans to compete in several more tournaments, and is determined to close the gap.

The Wuhan Open was an occasion that connected two generations of Chinese tennis. As Zheng battled on the court, Mengxiao was right there with her — serving as a ball girl for every match, and watching up close as her hometown hero carved out yet another milestone in her career.

Earlier this year, Mengxiao watched Zheng compete against Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open women's singles final. At the Wuhan Open, with the two facing off again, she had the chance to observe Zheng even more closely.

"I learned a lot about how top players adjust during matches, especially when they're not at their best. Zheng, for instance, would give herself pep talks before stepping back on court, while Sabalenka took a break to change clothes after dropping a set," Mengxiao said.

Sabalenka eventually defeated Zheng 6-3,5-7, 6-3 in a thriller to claim her third consecutive Wuhan women's title.