Zheng Qinwen, China's Olympic champion, is determined to overcome her previous Wimbledon first-round struggles as she prepares to face Katerina Siniakova in her opening match. Zheng, currently ranked No. 6 in the world, is seeded fifth at this year's Championships. The 22-year-old is scheduled to compete against Siniakova on Monday.

Zheng has faced early exits in the first round of Wimbledon in the past two years. However, her best performance at Wimbledon was in 2022, when she reached the third round. In 2023, Siniakova defeated her in the first round.

Zheng acknowledges the challenge Siniakova poses, especially on grass courts. Siniakova, 29, has 10 Grand Slam women's doubles titles. Zheng has lost to Siniakova twice on grass, including at Wimbledon in 2023. Zheng said she is "fully prepared" for their match. She recognizes Siniakova's flat shots, which make the ball challenging to handle on grass because of the low bounce.

Despite past setbacks, Zheng has expressed confidence in her ability to perform well on grass. She attributed her previous early exits to injury in 2024 and inadequate preparation with a new team in 2023. She believes she is much stronger this year with better preparation.

In preparation for Wimbledon, Zheng reached her first career grass-court semifinal at the Queen's Club Championships earlier this month. However, she had to withdraw from the Berlin Open due to a neck injury. Zheng found the Queen's Club experience valuable, which helped her learn and prepare. She feels healthier this year compared to previous years at Wimbledon, allowing her to prepare more effectively with her team.

Zheng has enlisted the help of Francisco Roig, who previously coached Rafael Nadal for 18 years. Roig joined Zheng's team after Queen's Club. Zheng's coach, Pere Riba, facilitated the connection. Zheng is confident that she can learn a lot from Roig's experience. She and her team will evaluate their collaboration after the grass-court season to decide whether to continue long-term.

If Zheng defeats Siniakova, she could face Naomi Osaka in the second round. Her path to the final might include matches against Diana Shnaider, Jasmine Paolini, and Aryna Sabalenka.

Five Chinese women's singles players are in the main draw at Wimbledon: Zheng, Wang Xinyu, Zhu Lin, Yuan Yue, and Zhang Shuai. Wang will play Karolina Muchova, Zhu will enter with a protected ranking, Yuan will face Noma Noha Akugue, and Zhang will compete after qualifying. Buyunchaokete is the only Chinese male player in the main draw.