After a grueling three-set match lasting over an hour, Chinese player Zheng Qinwen narrowly lost to American player Coco Gauff in the final of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, which concluded in the early hours of Beijing time, leaving many feeling regretful for her.

In the deciding set, Zheng Qinwen had the lead. Some people wonder why she couldn't finish the match in one go. It felt like she was just a breath away.

On the date, Zheng Qinwen at the award ceremony. Photo by Wang Haizhou, Xinhua News Agency.

This inevitably brings to mind the final of the Wuhan Open between Zheng Qinwen and Sabalenka. At that time, Zheng Qinwen missed the opportunity to defeat her "nemesis" and win the title at home, leaving many fans deeply regretful. Prior to that, Zheng Qinwen had faced Sabalenka three times, winning only a few games in total, while in this match alone, she won several games.

From "a long way off" to "just a breath away," lies her tremendous progress.

This season, Zheng Qinwen has clearly been "improving"—winning the women's singles title at the Paris Olympics and making history, but finishing as the runner-up at the Australian Open, the Wuhan Open, and the year-end championships, leaving a sense of "just one step away" disappointment.

"Good enough" and "One breath short," intertwined, have become the main theme of Zheng Qinwen's season.

On the date, Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the match. Photo by Wang Haizhou, Xinhua News Agency.

For Zheng Qinwen, Sabalenka was once an insurmountable peak. However, Zheng persisted despite repeated defeats, and finally broke through the clouds to glimpse the true form of this peak at this year's Wuhan Open. Although the summit was not reached, the journey was worthy of praise and admiration.

Sabalenka could clearly feel the tremor brought by the climber's footsteps—Zheng Qinwen was getting closer to the next breakthrough.

Just like climbing a mountain, it takes a lot of effort to go from not being able to see the summit to being just a step away, but from seeing the peak to actually reaching the top might require even more prolonged and arduous efforts.

Sometimes, people overestimate the instant magic of critical moments, yet underestimate the great power of time that wears away stone with dripping water.

Just as Zheng Qinwen said after the match, "This is the charm of tennis—you give it your all, but victory doesn't always belong to you. However, if you keep persevering, you will eventually wait for your chance."

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Reporter: Wang Haoming

Come on!****