BEIJING , China -- As Wimbledon 2009 gets under way this week , sports commentators and tennis aficionados will closely watch China 's tennis superstar , Zheng Jie . China 's Zheng Jie during her semifinal tennis match against Serena Williams at Wimbledon . She is one of the seeded players who could steal the limelight in women 's singles . If she does -- she won her first preliminary match on Monday -- it wo n't be the first time . Zheng captured the hearts of many at Wimbledon last year when she beat top-seed Ana Ivanovic in the third round . `` Ana is the world number one player , I won over her and that gave me a so much confidence , '' she told CNN , recalling one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history . `` With that confidence I played into the semifinals , '' the diminutive player added . Her remarkable run stumped some commentators who could barely pronounce her name , ( her surname is pronounced `` Jung '' , her first name `` Gee-yeah '' ) so unknown was the wild card ranked 133rd in the world . It was a fairytale story for the Sichuan native , who became the first wildcard to reach the semis of the women 's singles at Wimbledon . Her performances inspired her country , with more than 100 million Chinese watching the live TV coverage of her semifinal match against America 's Serena Williams . Though Zheng lost , it was by far the best performance ever by a Chinese player at a major . `` When I returned to China , I was welcomed by a huge crowd at the airport , '' she gushes . `` I was thrilled that I could turn so many people 's attention to tennis . '' Zheng won even more points off court . She donated her Wimbledon prize money to the Sichuan earthquake relief fund and spent time helping the victims and reconstruction efforts . `` My parents and most of my friends are in Sichuan , '' she said . `` I hope I can do more to help them . '' Zheng learned the rudiments of tennis growing up as a child in China 's lush and rustic heartland . She was barely seven when she tried out in a local sports clinic to train for tennis , a sport her parents had never even heard of . She trained doggedly , showing speed and boundless enthusiasm . When the coaches chose two from the scores of trainees , they selected her -- along with Yan Zi , a fellow Sichuanese and long-time women 's doubles partner . Zheng is mostly known for her women 's doubles successes partnered with Yan Zi . They have won several WTA doubles titles , including Wimbledon 2006 and the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics . Zheng 's career path as a singles player is less straight . She started her pro tennis tour in January 2003 and by the end of that year , she had moved into the world 's top 100 . By 2005 , she ranked 42nd . But she suffered an ankle injury at the 2007 French Open , forcing her to miss all events that year , including the chance to defend her Wimbledon women 's doubles title . Her world ranking plunged as she underwent rehabilitation . On the eve of Wimbledon 2008 , she was ranked 133 . `` Even though the injury made my world ranking plunge , it also made me grow up a lot , '' she recalls . When she returned to competition , she carried on the court a small bottle containing the bone fragments cut from her ankle , just to remind her of how lucky she was to compete again . More accolades followed her success . Last March , Zheng got the 2008 WTA Tour `` Comeback of the Year '' award for having `` rebounded from an injury-marred 2007 . '' Thanks to the emergence of world-class stars like Zheng , tennis is growing rapidly in China . An affluent middle class and many top government officials have taken up the sport , boosting its social status and commercial appeal . Tennis courts have sprouted in major cities while academies are attracting youths who idolize super-stars like Roger Federer , Serena Williams and local standouts like Zheng Jie . Zheng 's success -- she is said to have earned over $ 1.8 million in prize money as a pro -- has also helped put the spotlight on tennis , attracting wider TV coverage and lucrative commercial endorsements . `` I really like playing tennis and I was ambitious , '' she told CNN about her youth . `` If you say I ca n't make it , I 'll prove to you that I can . '' With Zheng 's mental toughness and will to win , Wimbledon fans may have to get used to hearing her name , properly pronounced `` Jung Gee-yeah '' .
Zheng Jie reached the semifinals of Wimbledon last year as a wildcard entry . She donated her prize money to the Sichuan earthquake relief fund . 100 million viewers tuned in to watch her semifinal game in China .