She flew under the radar, and that might be what makes her dangerous. Zheng Qinwen posted a convincing 7-6(6), 6-2 victory over Cristina Bucsa in the second round of the Italian Open, continuing a comeback that has been as quiet as it has been effective.

The 23-year-old Chinese star, who missed the Australian Open earlier this season, is playing in her fifth tournament since returning. For the third time in five events, she has strung together back-to-back wins, an encouraging sign for a player who was still finding her footing just weeks ago.

Against Bucsa, Zheng had to fight through a tight first set before finding her groove. The tiebreak, won 8-6, proved to be the turning point. Freed from pressure, the 2024 Olympic champion then cruised through the second set, dropping just two games.

The draw is opening up in front of her. With Amanda Anisimova withdrawing, the top half of the WTA draw has lost one of its seeds. Zheng could face Jelena Ostapenko in the next round, an opponent she leads 3-0 in their head-to-head.

Zheng's 2026 season looks like a slow build. After shaky early outings this spring, clay seems to suit her rediscovery of form. Her powerful, geometric baseline game finds a natural home on Roman clay.

If she can maintain this trajectory, Roland-Garros could be where she announces her return to the top.