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China Open 2026: Mirra Andreeva and Zheng Qinwen Reach the Final

By: Jun Pasion |
 October 10, 2026

The China Open 2026 semifinals delivered a final pairing few would have predicted when the tournament began. Mirra Andreeva ended Nikola Bartunkova’s breakthrough run with a commanding 6–2, 6–2 victory, while Zheng Qinwen defeated Elise Mertens 7–5, 6–2 to reach the championship match in front of her home crowd.

Two straight-set victories settled the final places. But the stories behind them could hardly be more different.

Andreeva, the highest remaining seed, is building another remarkable season at just 19. Zheng, playing as a wildcard after her injury comeback, is pursuing a historic title on home soil.

And there is one more twist: Zheng has already beaten Andreeva at this tournament before.

China Open 2026 Semifinals: Andreeva Ends Bartunkova’s Run

Nikola Bartunkova arrived in Saturday’s semifinal carrying one of the tournament’s most unexpected stories.

The 20-year-old Czech had eliminated second seed Aryna Sabalenka, survived a three-set battle against Sinja Kraus and then swept past Karolína Muchová to reach the final four.

The player who had knocked out one of the original title favorites was now just one victory away from the final herself.

But Mirra Andreeva stopped her.

The fourth seed defeated Bartunkova 6–2, 6–2 in one hour and 14 minutes, striking 16 winners against 10 unforced errors and converting five of her 10 break-point opportunities.

There was little room for another upset.

Bartunkova’s Beijing run had been extraordinary, but Andreeva imposed herself on the semifinal with a level of control that the score reflected.

For Andreeva, the victory carried significance beyond reaching Sunday’s championship match.

It was her 50th match win of 2026, tying Jessica Pegula for the tour lead, and sent her into a fifth final of the season. The result also puts her on course to reach a career-high World No. 3 ranking.

Watch Andreeva vs Bartunkova highlights

The Peking Duck Chaser Gets Her Final

Andreeva had supplied one of Beijing’s lighter moments after her quarterfinal victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Having survived two tiebreaks, she spoke during her on-court interview about hoping to find Peking duck in the players’ dining room — one of her favorite dishes in China.

The interviewer informed her that it was scheduled for October 10.

Semifinal day.

At Tennis Roundup, the coincidence gave us an irresistible storyline: the Peking Duck Chaser against Bartunkova, the Dragon Slayer who had conquered Sabalenka.

The nicknames were playful. The stakes were real.

Andreeva won the match decisively, ending Bartunkova’s remarkable campaign and securing her place in the final.

Whether she actually enjoyed the duck remains another question.

The championship opportunity, however, is confirmed.

Zheng Qinwen Defeats Elise Mertens to Reach Beijing Final

On the other side of the draw, Zheng Qinwen faced an opponent whose own campaign had gathered considerable momentum.

Elise Mertens had defeated former China Open champions Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek on her way to the semifinals. The Belgian had repeatedly disrupted the tournament’s established hierarchy.

Zheng was next.

The opening set was competitive, but the Chinese wildcard took it 7–5 before pulling away in the second to complete a 7–5, 6–2 victory.

Zheng served eight aces, lost serve just once and converted four of six break points.

Her first-serve percentage was only 47%, but when she landed that delivery, she won an impressive 88% of the points.

It was a performance built on the effectiveness of her first strike rather than simply the frequency of her first serves.

Mertens’ run ended in the semifinals. Zheng’s comeback gained its biggest Beijing stage yet.

Watch Zheng vs Mertens highlights

The Queen Has a Chance to Make History

Zheng’s route through Beijing has been anything but straightforward.

Four consecutive three-set victories earlier in the tournament inspired Tennis Roundup’s Three-Set Queen storyline. She then defeated Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the quarterfinals, showing she could advance without another deciding-set battle.

Against Mertens, she did it again.

For Tennis Roundup, The Queen is Zheng’s broader editorial nickname. Her three-set adventures are one chapter of this particular tournament.

Now she has reached a more significant milestone.

Zheng becomes the first Chinese woman to reach the China Open women’s singles final, giving herself an opportunity to become the tournament’s first Chinese women’s singles champion.

For a player rebuilding her season following elbow surgery, the achievement is also a major step in her return to the top of the game.

But there is still one match to play.

Fire & Ice: The China Open Storyline Reaches Its Conclusion

When the tournament began, the projected championship encounter between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka offered an enticing contrast.

Tennis Roundup called it Fire & Ice.

That possibility disappeared when both leading seeds lost their opening matches.

Rybakina fell to Alina Charaeva, while Sabalenka was eliminated by Bartunkova.

Their conquerors then became stories in their own right.

Charaeva defeated Sonay Kartal before losing to Zheng in the fourth round.

Bartunkova went further, defeating Kraus and Muchová before Andreeva stopped her in the semifinals.

By Saturday evening, both original favorites and both players responsible for their exits were out of the tournament.

Neither upset had produced a finalist.

Instead, Andreeva and Zheng had navigated their respective halves of the draw to earn the championship places.

Fire & Ice had shaped the tournament’s early drama.

But the final now belongs to two different players, each with a compelling story of her own.

What’s Next: Mirra Andreeva vs. Zheng Qinwen in the China Open Final

Sunday’s championship match brings together the tournament’s highest remaining seed and its home favorite.

Andreeva arrives with 50 victories this season, a fifth final appearance and the prospect of a career-high ranking.

Zheng brings home-crowd support, a remarkable comeback and a chance to make Chinese tennis history.

There is also a previous meeting that makes this final especially intriguing.

At the 2024 China Open quarterfinals, Zheng defeated Andreeva 5–7, 6–0, 6–4.

Andreeva won the opening set that day, but Zheng recovered to take the next two.

Two years later, they meet again in Beijing — this time with the championship at stake.

Andreeva will try to impose the control that dismantled Bartunkova. Zheng will look to make her powerful first serve and aggressive attacking game count against one of the tour’s most accomplished young competitors.

The original projected final is long gone.

In its place stands a championship match with its own history, contrasting journeys and a genuine sense of occasion.

For Zheng, the question is whether her comeback can culminate in a historic home title.

For Andreeva, it is whether another exceptional season can produce another major trophy.

The Queen and the Peking Duck Chaser have reached the same destination.

Only one will leave Beijing with the championship.

Complete China Open 2026 Semifinal Results

Saturday, October 10 — Women’s Singles

Winner Defeated Score
Mirra Andreeva (4) Nikola Bartunkova (26) 6–2, 6–2
Zheng Qinwen (WC) Elise Mertens (13) 7–5, 6–2

Final — Sunday, October 11

Mirra Andreeva (4) vs. Zheng Qinwen (WC)

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