Key Takeaways
- Zheng Qinwen became the first Chinese player to reach the China Open final after defeating Elise Mertens in straight sets.
- Mirra Andreeva reached her fifth final of 2026 and will rise to a career-high ranking of world No. 3 on Monday.
- A Beijing title would move Andreeva to second place in the WTA Race and narrow her gap behind Elena Rybakina for the year-end top spot.
Beijing title match pairs tour leader with resurgent wild card
Mirra Andreeva and Zheng Qinwen will contest the China Open singles final on Sunday in Beijing, scheduled to begin no earlier than 7:30 p.m. local time. The showdown brings together the current tour leader in 2026 match wins and a local favorite whose resurgence from elbow surgery has marked the tournament.
Zheng earned her spot by defeating Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday, becoming the first Chinese player to advance to the China Open final since the tournament was established in 2004. Competitors from China had previously posted an 0-7 record in Beijing semifinals. Andreeva, the fourth seed, booked her place in her fifth final of 2026 by defeating Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour and 14 minutes, having navigated past Ekaterina Alexandrova in two tie-breaks in the quarterfinals.
Rankings and the race for year-end supremacy
With Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff eliminated before the final weekend, the Beijing championship carries substantial ranking weight. Andreeva will climb to a career-best world No. 3 on Monday regardless of the result, having already secured a spot at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells. A victory would award her more than 1,000 points and lift her to second in the WTA Race, leaving her within 800 points of Rybakina ahead of the upcoming Wuhan Open, an event Rybakina will skip.
Andreeva holds 50 match victories this season, tying Jessica Pegula for the tour lead, and stands as the youngest player to achieve that milestone since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. She also leads all players this year with 301 break points converted, 25 of which have arrived in Beijing. After dropping the opening set of her opening match against Yuan Yue, Andreeva has claimed 10 consecutive sets.
Zheng caps grueling comeback trail
Zheng entered Beijing as a wild card following a testing physical rehabilitation. After climbing to world No. 4 in June 2025, she underwent right elbow surgery on July 18, 2025. Following another setback during the Asian swing, she missed the Australian Open and sustained early exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, dropping her ranking to No. 160 in mid-June.
Ranked No. 121 prior to the US Open, Zheng successfully came through qualifying before making a quarterfinal run that lifted her to No. 52. Reaching the Beijing final ensures she will rise to at least No. 28, with the title taking her to No. 23. Her campaign this week has required 13 hours and 33 minutes on court, the longest total for any player at a single tour-level event this season. Along the way, she has produced 219 winners, which also represents a tour high for 2026.
The pair have met once previously, with Zheng rallying from a set down to defeat Andreeva 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 in the 2024 China Open quarterfinals. Andreeva now pursues her third career WTA 1000 crown, while Zheng aims to secure her fifth career WTA title and become the tournament’s first home champion.
WTA Beijing - Qinwen Zheng's projected path
Zheng in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2026
Now the world no.54, the Chinese has a 24-15 match record in 2026. Qinwen is playing at the moment in Beijing where she overcame the world no.231 Han Shi 7-6(6) 4-6 6-2, the world no.22 Anna Kalinskaya 6-7(4) 6-4 3-0 ret., the world no.27 Marie Bouzkova 7-6(3) 4-6 7-5, the world no.118 Alina Charaeva 6-1 2-6 6-4, the world no.7 Elina Svitolina 6-3 7-6(6) and the world no.19 Elise Mertens 7-5 6-2.
Qinwen Zheng will fight against the world no.5 Mirra Andreeva in the final on Sunday at 7:30 pm on Court 1. Their actual head to head record is 1-0 for Zheng.
Zheng won 5 titles in her career: 2 on hard courts and 3 on clay courts. (See the list of her titles)
WTA Beijing - Mirra Andreeva's projected path
Andreeva in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2026
Currently ranked no.5 (career-high), Andreeva has a 50-15 win-loss record in 2026. The Russian is playing in Beijing where she defeated the world no.135 Yue Yuan 3-6 6-0 6-0, the world no.104 Polina Kudermetova 6-4 6-1, the world no.46 Daria Snigur 6-2 6-2, the world no.28 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4) 7-6(3) and the world no.34 Nikola Bartunkova 6-2 6-2.
Mirra Andreeva will take on the world no.54 Qinwen Zheng in the final on Sunday at 7:30 pm on Court 1. Their head to head is 1-0 for Zheng.
Andreeva conquered 3 titles in 2026 in Adelaide, Linz and French Open.
The Russian won 6 titles in her career: 3 on hard courts and 3 on clay courts. (See the list of her titles)
Qinwen Zheng and Mirra Andreeva played each other only on 1 occasion. The head to head is 1-0 for Zheng.
