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.