Zheng Qinwen’s Message Shared by UN Women: Beyond Wins and Losses, There Is Growth

UN Women recently published a post

quoting Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen’s words

“Beyond wins and losses, there is growth.”

The message was used to encourage women not to be defined by a single result

and to participate bravely in sports.

The full text is as follows:

[Beyond wins and losses, there is growth]

“Whether on the sports field, at school, or anywhere else, I hope young women know that their value is not defined by one result or by other people’s expectations.

If I can use a voice beyond tennis to share this message, I would be happy to do so, because I know how much opportunities have changed my life. Someone believed in me, someone gave me a chance, and someone invested in my future. Every girl deserves the opportunity to participate in sports.”

— @Zheng Qinwen Ana

To every girl who dares to dream, dares to fight,

dares to fall and dares to come back.

Sports belong to everyone,

let’s step onto the field together.

Expand full text

UN Women, formally known as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, is the core official organization within the UN system responsible for advancing gender equality, protecting the rights of women and girls, and empowering women.

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September 10, the Chinese Tennis Association sent a congratulatory letter to Zheng Qinwen:

In the early hours of September 10 Beijing time, you faced tournament No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court at the US Open and narrowly lost 1-2, ending your run in the quarterfinals. Although the result was disappointing, your overall performance throughout the tournament amazed the audience and the tennis world. This was not a defeat, but a journey filled with sweat, belief, willpower, spirit and perseverance. It was an inspiring story with significance beyond wins and losses and an example of striving in the new era. The Chinese Tennis Association extends warm congratulations and sincere respect to you!

During this US Open campaign, you overcame challenges, pushed your limits, and created a brilliant chapter for yourself and for China’s new generation of tennis. Throughout the tournament, you showed outstanding competitive resilience and comeback ability, producing two remarkable recoveries from 0-5 down to win 7-5, and successfully reaching the US Open quarterfinals. With your excellent performance, your world ranking rose sharply from No. 121 to No. 52, marking a major breakthrough in your career from injuries, setbacks and doubts to a return and rise. You proved your ability through results and delivered an impressive answer for fans.

As you left the court, tens of thousands of spectators stood and applauded you. Many overseas media outlets gave highly positive evaluations, praising that you “lost the match but won the world.” Some authoritative comments also stated that this defeat was not the end, but “the true beginning.” Wins and losses on the court are temporary, but the resilience, experience gained at top-level events, and the image of a top Chinese athlete you demonstrated are far more valuable than the result of one match. You represent the courage of young Chinese people in the new era to challenge limits and pursue breakthroughs. Through hard work and growth, you have shown the world the unlimited potential and vitality of China’s new generation of tennis.

We believe that after enduring challenges and continuing to grow, you will ride the waves and reach new heights in international tennis. A true strong competitor is not someone who never falls, but someone who can stand up again after falling. May you overcome every challenge and always believe in miracles.

Image source: @US Open