Zheng Qinwen Advances to Madrid Open Second Round, Set to Face Sofia Kenin

Zheng Qinwen of China advanced to the last 32 of the 2026 Madrid Open by defeating American Sofia Kenin in a hard-fought three-set match on April 24, 2026. After losing the first set 6-1, Zheng recovered to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-3, securing her place in the third round where she will face second seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.

The match began poorly for Zheng, who lost seven consecutive games across the first set and the start of the second. Despite the early deficit, she regained her composure and began converting break points consistently, ultimately taking every break opportunity she created. Her resilience allowed her to turn the match around after a sluggish start.

On the same day, Zhang Shuai, the other Chinese player in action, was defeated 6-3, 6-1 by Anastasia Potapova of Russia. Zhang had originally been scheduled to play Madison Keys of the United States, but Keys withdrew less than an hour before the match due to illness, allowing Potapova to enter as a lucky loser.

In other notable results, Elena Rybakina advanced to the last 32 with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse. The recent Stuttgart champion showed determination to overcome a slow start and will now face Zheng in the next round. Meanwhile, top seed Jannik Sinner of Italy dropped the first set in a tiebreak against France’s Benjamin Bonzi but recovered to win 6-7(8), 6-1, 6-4.

On Thursday, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz announced he would miss the 2026 French Open due to a wrist injury that had already ruled him out of the Madrid Open. The injury continues to affect his participation in the clay-court season.

Zheng’s victory over Kenin marks her continued progress on the WTA Tour, following a prior win against the American in Doha earlier in the season. Her ability to recover from early setbacks highlights her growing mental toughness and adaptability on different surfaces.