Two days after a dazzling comeback over Madison Keys, Zheng Qinwen found herself trailing 5-0 after just 20 minutes in the opening set against Iga Swiatek in the US Open fourth round. But this scoreline is where Zheng thrives. She clawed back, winning 12 of the final 15 points to take the set, marking her second straight match rallying from 5-0 down. Swiatek recovered briefly in the second set, but Zheng broke to go up 4-3 and closed out the 7-5, 6-3 victory. Following a backhand error from Swiatek, Zheng fell to the ground in celebration, becoming the fourth women's qualifier in the Open era to reach the US Open quarterfinals, surpassing Li Na for most quarterfinal appearances by a Chinese player.

This win proved she was officially back after a challenging 14-month stretch that included elbow surgery and illness. "I'm just really happy to win this match because it's not easy," Zheng told the crowd. "It's been awhile since I beat a top-10 player. I really appreciated this win." When Zheng reached the US Open quarterfinals in 2023, she seemed destined for greatness. After reaching the Australian Open final in 2024 and winning Olympic gold at Roland Garros, she hit a career-high ranking of No. 4 in June 2025. But elbow surgery and a subsequent withdrawal from the China Open sidelined her for the rest of 2025.

Zheng missed the Australian Open in 2026 and struggled on her return, falling out of the top 100. After a first-round loss at the Canadian Open, she had a tough conversation with her coach. "I told him, 'I have all the pieces, I just didn't put them together,'" Zheng remembered. "He said, 'Let's go to practice and put them together. Then you'll show me.'" They decided she would skip Cincinnati to focus on New York, a decision that paid off with her stunning victory over Swiatek, proving her resilience and determination.