Zheng Qinwen Erases 0-5 Deficit to Stun Iga Swiatek at US Open

What happened

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Qualifier Zheng Qinwen produced one of the defining comebacks of the 2026 US Open, recovering from 5-0 down in the opening set to defeat eighth seed Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-3 in the fourth round at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The official US Open match report confirmed that Zheng won seven consecutive games to take the first set before completing the upset in straight sets on Monday.

The turnaround was even more striking because Zheng had escaped the same scoreline in her previous match. Against Madison Keys in the third round, the Chinese player trailed 5-0 in the deciding set, saved a match point and fought back to win. Against Swiatek, another former US Open champion, Zheng again refused to let a near-lost set decide her tournament. Swiatek acknowledged afterward that she had allowed Zheng back into the contest.

Why it matters

The WTA reported that Zheng became the first qualifier or lucky loser to defeat Swiatek at a Grand Slam. Swiatek had previously won all 15 of her major matches against players in those categories. Zheng is also the first qualifier to reach the US Open women's quarterfinals since Emma Raducanu completed her title run in 2021.

This is Zheng's third US Open quarterfinal and her first since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her right elbow last year, according to the tournament's official site. Once ranked as high as world No. 4, she entered this event outside the direct-entry places and had to navigate qualifying before the main draw. Her run now includes victories over seeded opponents Keys and Swiatek, with both wins shaped by extraordinary recoveries from 5-0 deficits.

Tournament impact

Zheng's victory removes the 2022 champion and a six-time major winner from the women's draw. It also sends Zheng into a quarterfinal against Elena Rybakina, who beat Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in her fourth-round match. Rybakina's power and clean first-strike tennis will present a different test, but Zheng arrives with seven match wins at this event when qualifying is included and with momentum few players in the draw can match.

What to watch

The central question is whether Zheng can carry the same resilience into the later rounds without again conceding an early advantage. Her two recoveries are evidence of composure under scoreboard pressure, but the quarterfinal stage leaves less room for slow starts. A place in the semifinals would put the Olympic gold medalist within two victories of becoming only the second qualifier to win the US Open women's singles title. For now, her comeback against Swiatek stands as both a major upset and the clearest sign that her return from elbow surgery has become a genuine title challenge.