Getting back into the swing of things

To eventually outplay the mighty three-time major winner felt like scaling a personal mountain for Zheng, who faced criticism from fans and media for a perceived lack of fight during her first six losses to the power-hitting Sabalenka.

Yet, the challenge of getting over a higher obstacle — her own mental stability — at high-stakes moments still seems a tall task, underlined by Zheng's seventh defeat to Sabalenka in the quarters at Roland Garros, a month later.

A crestfallen Zheng, looking inconsolable after the straight-sets loss, summed up her failed attempt to tame her bitter rival again as a reflection of her mental vulnerability.

"I've always felt I have a fire burning within me and sometimes it consumes me when I want to win so much, so I can't focus on taking care of the process well," said the 22-year-old Hubei province native.

"The higher I climb on the professional stage, the more I realize that I've been competing against myself.

"I should try to learn to stay composed after each disappointment, move on with a positive mindset and focus on training the next day.

"I allow myself 24 hours to stay disappointed after each loss, and then I will get rid of all the negative emotions and start over."

Looking forward to the career ahead of her, Zheng admitted that winning a Grand Slam title remains high on her agenda, while she's not ruling out the opportunity to defend her Olympic gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

"It sounds a remote target right now, but I will, for sure, keep elevating my game until then, trying to improve myself to the best possible level (for LA28)," said Zheng, who's racked up five career singles titles on the WTA Tour and the Olympics.

Yang Hanchu contributed to this story.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn