Grand Slam finalist hints at swapping sports after banking millions from tennis | Tennis | Sport

Aged just 23, Qinwen Zheng already has a tennis career to be proud of. The Chinese star won an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games, reached a Grand Slam final at the 2024 Australian Open, and has peaked at No. 4 in the world. Zheng has five career titles and has earned a staggering £7,455,980 ($10,160,087) in prize money over the years.

The current world No. 32 is now continuing her comeback from an elbow injury that sidelined her last summer, but another sport has caught her eye. Zheng recently tried her hand at golf, and it went better than expected. Now, she’s considering swapping the tennis court for a golf course when she retires.

“I was surprised as well that I’ve got good skills. Maybe I should play golf, not tennis! Or after I retire, I go play golf. Who knows,” Zheng told Tennis Channel ahead of the Italian Open. “I think the backhand is a bit similar, so maybe!”

The 23-year-old is also finding other ways to enjoy herself off the court in Rome, and has, of course, been enjoying some Italian cuisine. “Every time I’m in Rome I try to dress up a bit better,” Zheng added.

“So those few days, I went to my favourite restaurant near the Bvlgari Hotel, where I stayed last year. Really nice. Italian food always makes me so happy, and the people here are just really nice.”

The former world No. 4 already has a win under her belt this week. Zheng is unseeded at the Italian Open, and came from a set down to beat Anna Bondar 3-6 6-3 6-4 in the first round. Now, she faces 30th seed Cristina Bucsa.

Zheng recently reached the third round in Madrid, beating former Aussie Open champion Sofia Kenin and taking a set off world No. 2 Elena Rybakina before bowing out. She also reached the last 16 in Miami a few weeks ago, losing to Aryna Sabalenka, and knows she needs more matches as she continues her comeback.

“Since I’m coming back from injury, there’s always on and off during the match. But as I start to play longer matches, the situation becomes better compared to Doha or Indian Wells and Miami,” she explained.

“I think I’m getting there, but I need more matches and keep fighting. Right now I feel like I’m starting from zero.”