WATCH: Paris Olympics gold medal winner Zheng Qinwen's parents turn emotional watching Chinese script history at 2024 Games
China's Zheng Qinwen etched her name in history when she defeated Croatia's Donna Vekic to win the gold medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics. In the process, she became the first Chinese player to win a singles gold medal in tennis, and her parents were extremely emotional upon watching their daughter earn the accolade.
Qinwen opened her campaign with an emphatic double bagel over Italy's Sara Errani. She then defeated Dutch Arantxa Rus in straight sets before overcoming both the USA's Emma Navarro and Germany's Angelique Kerber in three-set battles.
In the semifinal, she got the better of Poland's Iga Swiatek in straight sets, marking a significant upset as Swiatek was riding a 25-match winning streak on the Roland Garros clay. At last, Qinwen outclassed Croatia's Vekic in the final, 6-2, 6-3.
While watching their daughter collect the gold medal on the podium, Qinwen's parents broke down and hugged each other. Watch the emotional moment below:
In an interview with Chinese media, Zheng Jianping, Qinwen's father, expressed that this Olympic gold was merely one milestone in his daughter's ambitious journey.
"My daughter has achieved her first goal, and she has bigger dreams to accomplish in the future... Grand Slam title is her next goal and even becoming World No. 1," he said. (via Xinhua).
"I couldn't have done it without you" - Zheng Qinwen credits parents for her Olympic gold medal
During a post-match interview, Zheng Qinwen explained the role her parents have played in her accomplishments. She shared that their unwavering support and belief in her abilities, coupled with their demanding training regimen, propelled her to this historic victory.
"He pushed me hard. Even on Chinese New Year there was no rest. He'd take me to the track, he'd make me run up and down stairs to make my body work... I got two or three days' rest when I was 14 or 15. My success comes a lot from my parents. They allowed me to stay focused on my dream," Qinwen said. (via Barron's)
The 21-year-old acknowledged that she would not have won the gold medal without her parents' contributions and expressed her gratitude to them for everything they had done for her.
"They always believed in me. They weren't like other parents who said 'you can't do that'. When I was nine or 10, they told me I would win a Slam and be a champion... So thanks mum and dad. I couldn't have done it without you. I love you," she added.
Qinwen won China's second gold medal in tennis 20 years after the women's doubles pair Li Ting and Sun Tian-Tian won the prestigious event.