Zheng Qinwen on her coach's influence

After winning the first WTA 1000 title of her career at the China Open and finally putting her injury struggles behind her, Zheng Qinwen spoke to the WTA's official website about the impact of Spanish coach Pere Riba on her career.

Five years ago, when Zheng was ranked just 169th in the world, she began working with former Spanish professional tennis player Pere Riba. The pair parted ways after the 2023 French Open but reunited towards the end of the same year. Their partnership paid immediate dividends in 2024, when Zheng enjoyed a breakthrough season, reaching the Australian Open final to claim her first Grand Slam runner-up finish, winning a historic women's singles gold medal at the Olympics and climbing to a career-high world ranking of No. 4. However, towards the end of that year, Riba needed surgery for an injury and temporarily stepped away from Zheng's team.

While Riba was recovering, Zheng briefly worked with several high-profile coaches, but the results were disappointing. Riba then suffered injuries in a car accident, further delaying his return. It was not until the second half of this year that Riba returned after recovering, and Zheng's form gradually began to improve. She reached the quarter-finals after coming through qualifying at the US Open before going on to win the China Open as a wild card.

That is why Zheng said: "He has made a huge difference for me." One particularly crucial moment came in July, when Zheng lost 6-3, 6-4 to Thailand's Lanlana Tararudee in the first round of qualifying in Toronto. Her live ranking had fallen to No. 158. Riba immediately decided to skip the Cincinnati tournament and head straight to the IMG Academy in Florida, where the pair began a 16-day training camp behind closed doors.

"When I lost in qualifying in Toronto and hit rock bottom, he was the one who pulled me out of it," Zheng said. "Sometimes his job isn't easy either, because if you want a player to perform at their best, you have to be demanding on the court."

The 24-year-old Zheng has also grown increasingly aware of how to work effectively with Riba over the course of their five-year partnership.

"Perhaps what happened in the past was because I wasn't humble enough at the time to accept such tough criticism and demanding training sessions. I thought I was already one of the top players. I always wanted to prove that I knew better than him, but after suffering a number of defeats, I realised that wasn't the right approach."

Reflecting on their partnership and the difference Riba has made to her career, Zheng said: "If you want to win, you have to stay humble and listen to your coach. That was the moment when everything suddenly clicked for me, and now we work together really well.

"He has made so many adjustments to my game and even to my mentality, because he has always been the one who believes I can achieve more. When I feel I've reached my limit, he is always there to push me further, because he knows I still have more potential to bring out on the court."