Tennis player Zhèng Qīnwén (郑钦文) became the first Chinese woman to win gold in the Olympic tennis singles final last Saturday.
The 21-year-old Zheng beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in her historic win.
China’s best previous singles performance at the Olympics was by Lǐ Nà 李娜 who got to the semi-finals in Beijing 2008, although she didn't win a medal.
Still on this red soil, another girl from Hubei, Zheng Qinwen, has made history.
依旧是在这片红色土地上，依旧是一位湖北姑娘，郑钦文创造了新的历史。[1]
(Both Li and Zheng are from Hubei province).
Although still relatively unknown in China, Zheng already had a number of lucrative brand endorsements with the likes of Nike, Lancôme, and Swisse, as well as Chinese brands Yili, Ant Group, and Chagee.
Chagee (霸王茶姬) is a fast growing bubble tea chain in China whose Chinese brand name translates directly as “conquerer” or “overlord” (霸王 bàwáng), “tea princess” (茶姬 chá jī).
The English brand name “Chagee” is an anglicised version of “tea princess” (茶姬 chá jī).
Chagee announced Zheng Qinwen as the its "health ambassador” (健康大使) in April this year, which was a first for a bubble tea brand.
Bubble tea makers like Chagee have bet big on potential Olympic medalists, as they look to establish a brand healthy image.
Heytea (喜茶) opened pop-up stores in Paris ahead of the summer games, while ChaBaiDao (茶百道) and Auntea Jenny (沪上阿姨) signed deals with members of China’s Olympics basketball and volleyball teams.
Chagee has struck gold with Zheng Qinwen in more ways than one.
The elation among Chinese fans has given the tea brand an immediate public profile boost.
To celebrate Zheng’s gold medal victory, Chagee said it would treat 6,666 customers to a free drink.
“6666” is social media slang which means “well played” or “very strong” in Chinese. (We explain more about this in the member podcast).
But the real potential of Zheng’s gold medal glory for Chagee can be understood through another recent Olympic success story, Gu Ailing 谷爱凌, the free skier who glided to gold for China at the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing.
Gu was sponsored by Chinese coffee chain, Luckin Coffee (瑞星咖啡).
Chinese audiences knew little about the American-born free skier when Luckin announced Gu as its ambassador in late 2021.
At age 18, she became the youngest Olympic champion in freestyle skiing after winning gold medals in big air and halfpipe, and a silver medal in slopestyle.
Luckin got a huge boost from Gu’s olympic success. In that first quarter of 2022, Luckin's monthly active users saw a 83% year-on-year increase, the chain opened 556 new stores in China (a 9% increase from the previous quarter), and Luckin achieved its first single-quarter profitability in five years.
A year later, by August 2023, Luckin's total net revenue reached 24.9 billion RMB ($3.41 billion USD) which was a year-on-year increase of 87.3%, and its annual sales surpassed that of Starbucks China, making it the largest coffee chain brand in China.
Chagee's founder Zhāng Jùnjié 张俊杰 has similarly big ambitions for his business:
Coincidentally, Chagee's founder Zhang Junjie stated this year that their goal for 2024 is to "surpass the sales of Starbucks China".
Will Chagee become the next Luckin Coffee? This might be the more exciting story for Chagee after successfully endorsing Zheng Qinwen.
巧合的是，今年霸王茶姬创始人张俊杰表示，2024年的目标是“中国销售额超过星巴克中国”。霸王茶姬会成为下一个瑞幸吗？这或许是在押中郑钦文之后，霸王茶姬更令人期待的故事。[1]
The bubble tea chain may just achieve that goal with its bet on Zheng Qinwen.
Chagee is one of a number of "new tea" (新茶饮) brands in what is an intensely competitive and fast-growing sector.
From 2018 to 2021, the annual average growth rate of “new tea” sector was over 20%. But according to industry data, the rapid growth of recent years is slowing. By 2025, growth is expected to drop to 12.4%.
As we have seen in other sectors in China, the "involuted" competition between brands means that to survive and succeed when growth starts to slow, brands need a unique edge in terms of business model, product, international expansion, or branding.
So Zheng's Olympic success offers the company an opportunity to elevate itself into a lifestyle and “healthy” brand, differentiating away from its competition.
This is an intentional move by Chagee.
The number of fitness enthusiasts in China is growing. According to some reports, as of December 2022, the number of fitness enthusiasts in the country was 374 million, which is expected to reach 464 million by 2027.
Meanwhile, Zheng Qinwen has the potential to become one of China's highest earning sports stars.
Known affectionately by international fans as "Queen Wen" (because "Qinwen" is hard to pronounce), and as "rocket girl" (火箭少女) by fans in China, Zheng ranked 15th in the Forbes Magazine's list of highest-earning female athletes for 2023, with $1.7 million in prize money and $5.5 million in sponsorship income.
Zheng is one of only two Chinese athletes currently in the top 20 (the other is Gu Ailing).
There are other similarities between Zheng and Gu too:
Like Gu Ailing, Zheng Qinwen's athletic career also follows an "outsider" path.
Unlike most Chinese athletes who rely on local sports administration departments and affiliated sports schools and teams for training, Zheng Qinwen has funded her entire tennis training process herself.
She has personally organized her coaches and support team.
与谷爱凌类似，郑钦文的运动员生涯也走的是一条“体制外”路径。与大多数中国运动员依托于地方体育管理部门和下属体校、运动队学习和训练不同，郑钦文的整个网球训练进程基本全部靠自费，她的教练、保障团队均由自己筹建。[4]
But many analysts believe Zheng will soon surpass Gu Ailing in terms of earning power.
Tennis is an all-year-round sport with a well-established commercial model for sponsoring and financing athletes (Nike began sponsoring Zheng at age 13 after spotting her at an IMG tournament in the US.)
Zheng has wide appeal too, already appearing in fashion shows, dubbed a "fiery genius girl" (火一样的天才女孩) by Harper's Bazaar in China, with many predicting she will become China’s next “advertising queen” (广告女王).
Part of Zheng's appeal is her ability to connect with audiences as one analyst points out:
She speaks with detail and stories, with opinions and attitudes, with vision and inspiration.
She is assertive and witty, without catchphrases and with no accent.
有细节有故事、有观点有态度、有格局有启发、有断言有金句、没口头禅没口音。[4]
So with that, here is one of Zheng's most shared quotes in the Chinese media on how it felt to win gold:
"When I saw those before me make history, I always dreamed of one day becoming one of them.
I remember Liu Xiang saying during the 2004 Olympics that he would never forget his 21. Now, I am standing here at 21 years old.
This feeling is truly unbelievable."
“当我看到那些前辈们创造历史时，我一直梦想着有一天也能成为他们中的一员。记得2004年奥运会时，刘翔说他永远不会忘记自己21岁的那一年。如今，我也站在这里，21岁。这种感觉真是难以置信。”[4]
And watch this interview with Zheng for more from her, which is great to practice your Chinese listening with!
Favourite Five
1. 押宝 yā bǎo
bet, gamble
这都离不开耐克押宝郑钦文成功 - This is all down to how Nike bet right on Zheng Qinwen. [1]
Related:
押中 yā zhòng - hit the mark, make a correct guess
押注 yā zhù - place a bet, wager
2. 黑马 hēi mǎ
dark horse, unexpected winner
霸王茶姬和郑钦文都是来自各自领域的“黑马” - Chagee and Zheng Qinwen are both dark horses in their fields. [2]
3. 赢麻了 yíng má le
won big, won a lot
眼光真好，压了一手好宝，赢麻了 - You have a good eye, you placed a great bet, and you won big. [3]
4. 后起之秀 hòu qǐ zhī xiù
rising star, up-and-coming talent
短短两年，霸王茶姬做到全球门店数超4190家，成为新式茶饮行业的后起之秀 - In just two years, Chagee has opened over 4,190 stores worldwide, becoming a rising star in the new tea industry.
More: Learn more about this phrase in tomorrow's Sinica Phrase of the Week.
5. 不谋而合 bù móu ér hé
aligned
郑钦文在赛场上展现出的形象与霸王茶姬全球化出海、传承创新茶文化、追求卓越的品牌精神不谋而合 - Chagee's global expansion, innovation in tea culture, and the pursuit of excellence align perfectly with Zheng Qinwen's image on the tennis court. [3]
Related:
一拍即合 yì pāi jí hé - hit it off immediately, click instantly
Consuming the Conversation
Useful words
6. 体坛 tǐ tán
sports world
网球在体坛中一直有着较高的商业价值 - Tennis has always had high commercial value in the sports world. [1]
7. 苦战 kǔ zhàn
hard-fought battle, tough match
连续两场超过3小时苦战后，郑钦文又在半决赛战胜世界排名第一的斯瓦泰克 - After two consecutive hard-fought matches lasting over three hours, Zheng Qinwen defeated Świątek, the world number one, in the semifinals. [3]
Related:
战场 zhàn chǎng - battlefield, battleground
跑马圈地 pǎo mǎ quān dì - stake a claim, mark territory
排兵布阵 pái bīng bù zhèn - deploy troops, strategise
8. 翻盘 fān pán
turnaround, comeback
对于身处“卖不动”危机的耐克而言，更多的眼球或许意味着更多翻盘的可能 - For Nike, which is in a "can't sell" crisis, more attention might mean more possibilities for a turnaround. [1]
9. 搭档 dā dàng
partner, teammate
郑钦文和霸王茶姬正是一对颇为契合的搭档 - Zheng Qinwen and Chagee are great partners. [2]
10. 摘金 zhāi jīn
win gold, achieve a major victory
郑钦文摘金后，不少激动的网友涌进霸王茶姬等品牌评论区 - After Zheng Qinwen won gold, many excited netizens flooded the comment sections of brands like Chagee. [3]
Related:
夺金 duó jīn - win gold
夺冠 duó guàn - come first
Three-character phrases
11. 神预言 shén yù yán
divine prediction
伴随着郑钦文拿下金牌，该文案被大众评价为“敢说”、“神预言” - With Zheng Qinwen winning the gold medal, the advertisement was praised by the public as a "bold statement" and a "prophetic prediction". [1]
12. 划等号 huà děng hào
equate, be synonymous with
一度让耐克几乎可以和网球划等号 - At one point, it almost made Nike synonymous with tennis. [1]
13. 话题度 huà tí dù
buzz, popularity online
这些品牌本身有话题度和一定国民度 - These brands themselves can attract traffic and are well liked by the people. [4]
Idioms
14. 久负盛名 jiǔ fù shèng míng
renowned, well-known
李娜为中国捧起久负盛名的网球四大满贯公开赛的冠军奖杯 - Li Na won the renowned Grand Slam trophies for China. [1]
15. 步步为营 bù bù wéi yíng
step by step, advancing steadily
郑钦文超强的体力、步步为营的气势和冷静沉稳的大心脏 - Zheng Qinwen's superior stamina, steady advancement, and calm and composed demeanor. [4]
Related:
冉冉长成 rǎn rǎn zhǎng chéng - slowly grow into, gradually mature into
16. 扶摇直上 fú yáo zhí shàng
soar rapidly, rise swiftly
恰如其分的运动员代言人让品牌扶摇直上的案例并不少见 - Cases where a well-suited athlete endorser leads to the rapid rise of a brand are not uncommon. [2]
17. 崭露头角 zhǎn lù tóu jiǎo
emerge prominently, show one's talent
当茶饮行业已经驶入下半场，品牌也汰换了几轮，霸王茶姬开始崭露头角 - With the tea beverage industry in its second phase and brands being reshuffled several times, Chagee has emerged as a new leader. [2]
18. 实至名归 shí zhì míng guī
be deserving of one's reputation, live up to one's name
我真的在场上征战了好久，突破了自己的极限，所以说Queen Wen这个词我实至名归 - I fought long and hard on the court, went above and beyond, so I deserve to be called Queen Wen. [3]
19. 志在必得 zhì zài bì dé
determined to win, confident of success
不同于谷爱凌在北京冬奥会前，外界对谷爱凌冲击金牌的志在必得，郑钦文此番巴黎奥运会的夺冠之路，更有某种意料之外的惊喜 - Unlike the Winter Olympics in Beijing, where the outside world was confident in Gu Ailing's ability to win gold, Zheng Qinwen's path to victory at the Paris Olympics was a total surprise. [4]
20. 按捺不住 àn nà bú zhù
unable to restrain, can't hold back
在郑钦文奥运会夺冠的那一刻，外界已经按捺不住计算她究竟能多赚钱 - At the moment Zheng Qinwen won the Olympic gold medal, the outside world couldn't hold back from calculating how much more money she could make. [4]
Phrases
21. 一战成名 yí zhàn chéng míng
gain fame overnight, become famous overnight
现今郑钦文一战成名，耐克的品牌声量再次水涨船高 - Now that Zheng Qinwen became famous overnight, Nike's brand influence has increased significantly again. [1]
22. 蹚出一条路 tāng chū yì tiáo lù
pave the way, forge a path
这样的成就，也获益于前辈李娜等人蹚出的一条路 - Such achievements are also built upon the path paved by predecessors like Li Na. [4]
23. 一荣俱荣，一损俱损 yì róng jù róng, yì sǔn jù sǔn
rise together and fall together
2022年2月，谷爱凌夺金，瑞幸享受到“一荣俱荣”的光环 - In February 2022, when Gu Ailing won gold, Luckin Coffee enjoyed the "shared glory" effect. [1]
Note: only the first half of the phrase is used here.
Related:
与有荣焉 yǔ yǒu róng yān - share in the honour, take pride in
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