"I know I make strange faces sometimes when I play tennis, I mean, not everybody can play like Roger Federer, with really calm face; I wish I can, but is so tough to be like that" - Qinwen Zheng

Chinese sensation Qinwen Zheng was recently featured in a photoshoot for Harper's Bazaar China and the teenager is more than happy with the way the photos turned out. Unlike Swiss maestro Roger Federer, Zheng doesn't think she plays tennis with a "really calm face," meaning that all the photos she has from the tennis court have her making strange faces.

This set of photos is therefore the only time she can see herself looking completely normal, something she was glad to finally experience. Speaking at her press conference after her second-round victory over Anastasia Potapova at the 2022 US Open, the Chinese revealed that she had indeed been trying to keep her facial features under check lately but with no success whatsoever.

"When I see those pictures, I feel really happy, you know, because when we play tennis, especially me, I know I make strange faces sometimes. I mean, not everybody can play like Roger with really calm face," Zheng said. "I wish I can, but is so tough to be like that."

At the same time, the World No. 39 declared that she wasn't too distracted by it, adding that she enjoyed how competitive she could be on the tennis court, even if it meant she had to forego the chance to have good pictures every once in a while.

"When I see this picture and compared to tennis, of course you see is much more beautiful, absolutely, yes," Qinwen Zheng said. "But also, you know, on tennis, I enjoy the way how I am and to be, like, competitor on court is different beauty. Both are really good."

Zheng recalled the day of the photoshoot, remarking that she had a lot of fun on the set and that it was good to have a non-tennis experience where she could have just as much fun as she does with a racquet in her hand.

"I always likes to see myself, how I am outside of the court, and I was really enjoying to making different picture with me. I see that I have more, like, outside of tennis, another beauty, another different kind of beauty than sport," Qinwen Zheng said. "In that day I have so much fun with all the other people who doing shooting with me, we make a lot of joke."

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"I hope all of us, we can go as far as we can" - Qinwen Zheng on other Chinese players left in US Open draw

Qinwen Zheng at the 2022 US Open

Qinwen Zheng is one of five Chinese players left in the draw of the 2022 US Open, the first time so many players from the country have reached the third round at a Grand Slam.

Zhang Shuai, Yue Yuan and Xiyu Wang complete the women's line-up, while Yibing Wu is the lone representative on the men's side.

Zheng reckons it is a positive sign that tennis is finally starting to take hold in her home country and wished her compatriots all the best for their upcoming matches at Flushing Meadows.

"I think this is so positive. It means in China, the tennis starting to go up. I think between each other we have really, like, competition, I mean, good competition between each other. You know, when you are have someone to compete, you always can performance better," Zheng said, adding," "I think with this energy, I hope all of us, we can going as far as we can. And of course congrats to all of them."