Zheng Qinwen Erases 5-0 Deficit to Stun Madison Keys at US Open

Zheng Qinwen recovered from 5-0 down and saved a match point in the deciding set to defeat Madison Keys in the third round of the US Open. The Chinese qualifier won 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 against the American 22nd seed, completing the turnaround by taking the final seven games of the match. BBC Sport reported that Zheng called the contest a very dramatic match after reaching the fourth round.

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Keys had established control quickly, taking the opening set in 23 minutes. The 2025 Australian Open champion then moved within one game of victory in the third set, with the home crowd behind her. Zheng nevertheless stayed in the match, having already forced a deciding set by winning the second-set tie-break.

The result extended Zheng's winning run in New York to six matches because she had entered the main draw through qualifying. According to BBC Sport, she became the first qualifier to reach the women's fourth round at the US Open since Emma Raducanu, who went on to win the tournament in 2021. Zheng has needed three sets in four of those six matches.

The run represents a significant step in Zheng's return after elbow surgery in July 2025. The operation addressed a chronic problem caused by small pieces of bone in the elbow, and she spent nine months away from Grand Slam competition. Her first major appearance after that absence ended with a first-round French Open defeat to eventual runner-up Maja Chwalinska.

Zheng's ranking fell as low as 160 during the interruption, requiring her to play Grand Slam qualifying for the first time in four years. She was not eligible for a protected ranking because she made an earlier comeback at her home tournament in Beijing in October 2025. Her progress in New York follows a 2024 season in which she reached the Australian Open final, won Olympic gold and made the US Open quarter-finals.

Even late disruption did not stop the comeback against Keys. With Zheng trailing 5-4 and 0-15, a crying baby prompted her to halt her service motion. She then won the next four points to level the set before completing the victory. The fourth-round place keeps alive a campaign that began three matches before the main draw and has already tested her repeatedly over three sets.