Hsieh was born to parents Hsieh Tze-lung and Ho Fom-ju in Hsinchu and raised in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
After Hsieh Su-wei won the 2013 Wimbledon doubles championship with her Chinese partner Peng Shuai, her father said that a Chinese company had offered her a sponsorship deal worth 10 million yuan (US$1.63 million) per year, on the condition that she switch her citizenship to the People's Republic of China.