"Oh my God! Who hit my a**?" - Zheng Qinwen hilariously revisits Melbourne meeting with idol Li Na following US Open 2024 1R win

After her win at the 2024 US Open, Zheng Qinwen revisited the moment she met her idol Li Na in Melbourne during her impressive run at the Australian Open. Zheng recalled how worried she was as Li Na had made a surprise entrance but upon knowing it was the latter, she felt relief.

At the 2024 US Open, Zheng faced Amanda Anisimova in the women's singles first round on Monday, August 26. The Chinese player was not off to a good start as she lost the first set. However, she seemed to settle in eventually, coming back into the match to defeat the American with an impressive 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 score.

After the match, in an interview with ESPN, the 21-year-old was shown footage of her meeting with Li Na. In Melbourne, during the Australian Open, Zheng was giving an interview after her round of 16 win when her idol appeared out of the crowd and slapped her in a friendly way on the back.

Zheng admitted she was worried initially. She said:

"In that moment, I'm thinking 'Oh my God! Who hit my a**? Who did that to me?' And after I see Li Na, it's okay, she can do whatever she wants to me."

Zheng later said she was 'super happy' to meet Li and that her idol looked 'much more beautiful' than when she saw her on TV.

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"When Li Na won a Slam, I had a dream in my heart that I want to win a Grand Slam as well" - Zheng Qinwen

Zheng Qinwen at the 2024 US Open. (Image: Getty)

Li Na was the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam title following her triumph at the French Open in 2011. Zheng Qinwen was close to emulating it but fell short in the final of the Australian Open earlier this year.

However, like Li, Zheng's first major triumph came in Paris as she won the gold medal in the women's singles event. In an interview during the Olympics, Zheng explained how Li inspired her and said:

"[Li Na] is one of the women who inspired me the most. I always said she put those dream seeds inside me... The day when Li Na won a Slam, I had a dream in my heart that I want to win a Grand Slam as well."

The World No. 7 will be hoping to achieve the dream in New York. She has already crossed the first barrier at the 2024 US Open by getting the better of Amanda Anisimova in her campaign opener.

In her second-round match, Zheng Qinwen will take on Erika Andreeva, who got past Chinese player Yue Yuan 6-3, 7-6(7).