Zheng Qinwen overturned a match point and a 5-0 deficit in the deciding set to beat 22nd seed Madison Keys 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 and advance to the US Open fourth round. The victory completed a seven-game run for Zheng and made her the first qualifier to reach the women's last 16 at Flushing Meadows since Emma Raducanu.
Keys, winner of the 2025 Australian Open and a crowd favourite, looked in control after wrapping the opening set in 23 minutes. Zheng, who had to come through qualifying after a long layoff, regrouped to force a second-set tie-break and took the match on a dramatic swing of momentum.
Zheng threw herself to the floor in relief after the final point and reflected on a difficult period marked by injury and recovery. The 23-year-old said, "Finally, a bit of luck is on my side." She added, "I am just telling myself ever give up. Somehow, little by little, it's just happened." Zheng described tennis as a rollercoaster and noted how matches can flip even after a player faces match point.
The result follows a troubled season for Zheng, who underwent surgery in July 2025 to correct a chronic elbow injury caused by small pieces of bone. She had reached a career-high ranking of fourth after a breakthrough 2024, but her ranking tumbled as low as 160 and she was required to contest Grand Slam qualifying for the first time in four years because she did not meet the criteria for a protected ranking.
At times against Keys, Zheng's composure stood out. When play was briefly interrupted at 5-4 0-15 by a crying baby in the crowd, she shrugged and joked, "If it's adult, probably I will look at him very hard or start to speak, but it's just a baby. I can't do anything, you know? It's just a baby." She went on to win the next four points to level the tie and carry the momentum through the decider.
Having come through qualifying, Zheng is on a six-match winning streak in New York and has now been taken to three sets in four of her six matches at the tournament. The win will add momentum to her comeback and leaves Keys eliminated from the tournament as Zheng prepares for a fourth-round test at Flushing Meadows.
