China's newest Grand Slam champion, Peng Shuai, has returned home to a hero's welcome in Beijing, fresh off her championship run in the women's doubles at Wimbledon.

China's newest Grand Slam champion, Peng Shuai, has returned home to a hero's welcome in Beijing.

Peng and her partner, Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei, won their first career Slam with a surprising run at the All England Club. With her victory, Peng becomes the fifth Chinese to win a Slam.

Peng's flight touched down around noon Tuesday. But long before she appeared in the arrivals area of the Capital International Airport, Chinese tennis officials, local officials from her home town of Tianjin, and a number of fans gathered, bringing flowers and banners to show their love for the new champ.

The long-time veteran has been around the sport for years, but the warm welcome she received upon her triumphant return surprised the 27-year-old, the latest in what's been a week of unexpected ones for the Wimbledon champ.

"I really didn't expect this at all. In the past, my family and friends might receive me after a tournament. But today there are so many coaches, officials, and media members. Suddenly I feel shy," Peng said.

"It was a really surprising victory. We only had three days to prepare for the doubles. We were used to having one week and playing warm-up matches. So it's really a surprise."

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)