Gold medalist Zheng Qinwen of China kisses the medal during the victory ceremony for the women's singles of tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Dominika Cibulkova, Kevin Anderson, Mark Philippoussis, Todd Martin, Greg Rusedski, Eugenie Bouchard, Mardy Fish: the history of tennis is littered with the names of the nearly men and women who reached Grand Slam and Olympic finals but never broke through to take that final step to the top.

Perhaps the legacy of Zheng Qinwen could have been a member of that group after she lost seven months ago in the Australian Open final.

The straight-set loss to Aryna Sabalenka could have done irreparable damage to many players without Zheng's mental fortitude. A disappointing loss to unseeded Elina Avanesyan in the French Open in May and an embarrassing defeat to qualifier Lulu Sun at Wimbledon last month led many to worry that Zheng's Australian Open run was simply a flash in the pan.

Yet, here in August, back at Roland Garros, it's Zheng who sits atop the podium.

Her gold, which follows a tournament where the Chinese player had to display immense grit, determination, and endurance just to reach the final, represents the pinnacle of her career so far, as well as the pinnacle of Asian and Chinese women's Olympic tennis.

At 21, the gold could perhaps be the first of many medals for her at the Olympics, or it could be her last. However, one thing is for sure: the gold, and the inspiration that it will provide to young girls and boys back in her homeland, won't be the last for China.

"I want to tell them to be brave and dream big. Achieving dreams requires setting goals, but the journey will have its hardships, doubts, and sacrifices. Enjoy the process because every failure is a step towards success. Standing where I am today, I can say that all the effort is worth it," Zheng said, speaking directly to young tennis fans staying up late in China to watch her matches.

"Since I was a child, you can have a lot of inspiration on me and I always want to become one of the agents that I can inspire all the young kids to make them want more tennis."

Despite only being at the start of her career, Zheng understands the importance of her role, not just to win matches and tournaments, but also to inspire the next generation.

More than a decade on from Li Na's heroics at the same venue in the French Open, Chinese fans now have a new star to look up to. While the Olympics may not rank as highly for some tennis fans when compared to the Grand Slams, for many Chinese fans - including Zheng's father - the Olympics remains the peak.

"I know he always treats the Olympic Games more important than any of the Slams. I think all the Chinese fans are the same, including me, as you can see.

"Since I was 10, my father always talked about Grand Slams and the Olympics. I know the Olympics mean more to him than a Grand Slam. In 2022, I mentioned in an interview that I was looking forward to the 2024 Olympics. But I also knew high expectations could lead to disappointment," Zheng admitted. "This Olympics has been a rollercoaster for me, with unprecedented pressure and tension.

"I felt like I represented all of Chinese tennis, knowing the Chinese people were cheering for me. Winning the gold made all the hard work and struggles worthwhile."