Ten years ago, Li Na lifted the Australian Open women's singles trophy at Melbourne Park, and ten years later, another Chinese golden flower caught the world's attention at the Australian Open.
Also from Hubei, China, with the same aggressive and offensive style of play, and the same straightforward personality - the moment Zheng Qinwen stepped on the court, many Chinese fans couldn't help but think of that glorious memory.
Poster design by Zhou Huan
On January 27, Beijing time, in the women's singles final of the Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen faced the powerful No. 2 seed Sabalenka, but finally failed to stage a reversal, losing 3-6 and 2-6 to her opponent and winning the first Australian Open runner-up in her career.
Once in her eyes, Li Na was a lofty idol who could only look up, casting a majestic back on the ground. Now that he had been trekking for a long time, the shadow was finally getting closer, and the young golden flower was chasing after him, little by little.
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Li Na supported Zheng Qinwen. Video Editor Xu Chuli (01:16)
look up
When Zheng Qinwen's magical journey to the Australian Open reached the final stage, a photo was reposted countless times on social networks.
On the TV screen, Li Na received the Australian Open women's singles championship trophy with a smile on her face. On the other side of the picture, many children are happily celebrating this proud moment, including 11-year-old Zheng Qinwen.
For the young Zheng Qinwen, what kind of existence is Li Na? Perhaps only two words can describe it: legendary.
She has reached four Grand Slam singles finals, won the women's singles championship trophy at the French Open and Australian Open, and created the history of tennis in China and even the whole of Asia......
In the hearts of many people, it is the name Li Na that opens the door to a world called tennis, and Zheng Qinwen is one of the children who are trying to stretch their feet into this world.
As a child, Zheng Qinwen watched Li Na compete. Image source network
"[Li Na] has made quite a difference. As a first-hand witness and promoter of the development of Chinese tennis, Jiang Wei, vice president of the Tennis School of Nanjing University of Sport and former head coach of the national men's team, made a categorical evaluation.
"At that time, my friends would say, Li Na won the championship, will our children have a chance to play tennis? Although not everyone can become Li Na, it is enough to show that the entire Chinese tennis market and the confidence of the people involved in tennis have been greatly improved. He told The Paper.
Nothing is more direct and intense inspiration than a breakthrough from "0 to 1", which is a change of worldview that is subversive in the words of Zheng Qinwen, "She gave me the dream that an Asian player, a Chinese player, can also win a Grand Slam." ”
"Before her, you think that stage is out of reach, but after her you will find that it is also achievable, and she makes the impossible possible. ”
Zheng Qinwen and Li Na interacted cordially.
Once seemed impossible to stand on the height, seemingly impossible to achieve, Li Na has done. And the young Zheng Qinwen has never hidden his admiration for this tennis legend.
As early as six years ago, she described the senior in an interview, "She changed tennis in China, and most people started playing tennis because of Li Na." ”
That's why, when Li Na came to this year's Australian Open and suddenly appeared in front of Zheng Qinwen, the girl was so surprised and excited, "She is a very elegant and powerful woman, she looks much more beautiful than I saw on TV when I was a child. ”
understanding
From TV to reality, Li Na in Zheng Qinwen's eyes was once a legend that could only be looked up to, but when Sister Na really appeared in front of her, she was unexpectedly down-to-earth.
When they met, they hugged without a sense of distance, and encouraged without any arrogance between their words - "If I had your serve, I wouldn't be afraid of Serena Williams." Li Na said with a smile.
"I'm glad to see a lot of young Chinese players coming up. Zheng Qinwen's shot is clean and heavy, and she has a lot of opportunities this year. With Sister Na's encouragement, Zheng Qinwen really passed all the way and created the history of his career again and again.
"Li Na gave me advice – just play on the court, don't think too much, just do it. Zheng Qinwen revealed the secret that her predecessors taught her, and it turned out that it was exactly what she needed.
Perhaps it is providence, or maybe it is just a simple coincidence, the names of the two generations of Chinese golden flowers are always linked together on various occasions and in statistics.
In addition to being another Jinhua after Li Na to reach the Grand Slam singles final, Zheng Qinwen is also from Hubei like Li Na, and also likes an offensive style of play.
When she was young, Li Na practiced badminton before playing tennis, and coincidentally, Zheng Qinwen also played table tennis first, and then switched to tennis under the guidance of personal interests.
And Zheng Qinwen also studied under Li Na's enlightenment coach Xia Xiyao, and then entered the Wheel of Ingenuity Tennis School in Beijing to study under Li Na's mentor Carlos.
Like Li Na, Zheng Qinwen reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open and reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open. Two years ago, at the WTA in Toronto, she also became the first Chinese golden flower since Li Na to reach the quarterfinals of the event.
Looking back on all kinds of coincidences, Zheng Qinwen can only be explained by the word "metaphysics".
And as she walked to a higher place step by step, Li Na's details on the court began to slowly become more vivid in front of Zheng Qinwen's eyes.
"When I was a child, I watched Li Na play, and I didn't understand why Sister Na was emotional on the court, because I didn't understand it at that time. ”
"But when I actually came to this arena, I realized that at the key point, emotions are so difficult to control. I really understand her very well. ”
Perhaps it is precisely because of the same experience and the same distress that Li Na's competition advice to Zheng Qinwen is so concise and to the point.
The children cheering for Zheng Qinwen.
Remembrance
"Li Na's Grand Slam championship has set off a large-scale construction and development of Chinese tennis and made progress like a rebirth. And now Zheng Qinwen has stood on the shoulders of Li Na's era. Jiang Wei said.
The numbers don't lie, and now within the WTA world top 100, the number of Chinese golden flowers has reached 7, of which 4 are 22 years old or younger, and 3 are within the top 50.
In 2014, there were 6 Chinese Jinhua in the world's top 100, not only with a larger average age, but also with fewer people in the top 50 (2).
Further statistics show that the largest number of players in the world's top 100 are the United States, accounting for 16 players, followed by the Czech Republic with 9 players, followed by China Jinhua with 7 players.
From a former backward tennis country to today, Chinese women's tennis has become a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.
And the legend left by Li Na has also been seen by people as the possibility of realizing it again.
In the year she reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time, Li Na was 29 years old and could be called a "late bloomer" in the women's tennis world. And now when he reached the final of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, Zheng Qinwen was 21 years old.
'I've seen a lot of players my age, with a lot of rankings and results higher than me, but I don't think there's a big gap between us. Deep down, I always believed that I could do better. Zheng Qinwen issued a declaration that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers in the French Open two years ago.
Before this Australian Open, Zheng Qinwen had already held two tour championship trophies and won the tour runner-up twice.
epilogue
In an interview in February 2022, the young Zheng Qinwen made a bold statement, "I hope that in five years I will have at least one Grand Slam title in my hands." "Two years later, dreams are no longer just dreams.
In every Grand Slam final of Li Na, Zheng Qinwen said that he has watched it at least a dozen times. Now, the child who once concentrated in front of the screen has become the one who is watched by a new generation of children.
On the arena full of sweat and thorns, Zheng Qinwen's posture gradually coincided with the figure she admired. But this is not a nostalgic phantom of the past glory, but a new chapter belonging to another struggler.