Zheng Qinwen is China's leading tennis star and the first player from Asia to win Olympic gold in singles, a title she claimed at the Paris 2024 Games. Born in 2002 in Shiyan, Hubei, she is widely seen as the successor to Li Na.

She won her first WTA title in Palermo in 2023, the same year she took Asian Games gold in Hangzhou. In 2024 she reached the Australian Open final, the first Chinese Grand Slam finalist since Li Na, and finished runner-up at the WTA Finals. She rose to a career-high world No. 4 in 2025, and after returning from elbow surgery in 2026 she reached the US Open quarterfinals and won the China Open in Beijing as a wild card in October.

Her commercial profile is among the strongest in women's sport. A Dior global brand ambassador since 2025, Zheng is also a Rolex Testimonee and a Lancôme ambassador, and in November 2024 she became the first athlete to appear on the cover of Vogue China. Forbes ranked her the fifth highest-paid female athlete in the world in 2025.