In a key match in the final round of the group stage of the WTA year-end finals that ended on the evening of November 6, Beijing time, Chinese player Zheng Qinwen swept the world's No. 4 Italian player Paulini in straight sets in two sets, successfully locked the second place in the group, and qualified for the semifinals for the first time in his career. After qualifying for the group at the end of the year, Zheng Qinwen can be described as "reaping a lot" in terms of ranking points and bonuses.
First of all, the bonus aspect. The WTA year-end finals in Riyadh have always been known for their "generous bonuses", Zheng Qinwen spent $335,000 for three appearances in the group stage, and won two wins to get $700,000, so she has received $1.035 million in the group stage of the finals, which is equivalent to 7.43 million yuan. A qualification to the final would add $1.27 million to that and a further $2.5 million to win the title.
Secondly, in terms of points. After winning 2 consecutive games in the group stage, Zheng Qinwen earned 400 points, and the latest points came to 4940 points, which has thrown off the 4705 points of the "rich girl" Pegula behind him and firmly sat on the throne of the 6th place in the world.
The current world No. 5 is Rybakina, and the gap between Zheng Qinwen and her is only 31 points. Since Rybakina has been eliminated from the group, this gives Zheng Qinwen an excellent opportunity to overtake. If Zheng Qinwen can continue to make it to the final, he will be confirmed to become the world No. 5, only four points less than the world No. 4 Paulini. Zheng Qinwen has created the best ranking of his career, which is already 100%.
In the past six months, Zheng Qinwen has made great progress. After disappointing performances at this year's French Open and Wimbledon, she has an impressive 30-5 record since Wimbledon, leading all women in terms of wins during this period. Such an outstanding performance is enough to prove that Zheng Qinwen has indeed stepped into the ranks of the world's top players.