"Her sore loser antics are unbearable";"Pathetic" - Fans slam Zheng Qinwen for 'screaming' at linesman in Wuhan Open final loss to Aryna Sabalenka
Zheng Qinwen has drawn the ire of tennis fans for lashing out at a linesman during her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the 2024 Wuhan Open final. The Chinese took issue with the linesman's placement on the court, claiming that it had interfered with her shot.
Zheng and Sabalenka engaged in a closely contested battle in the final of the WTA 1000 event, with the Belarusian clinching the opening set 6-3. The 22-year-old bounced back strongly to take the second set 7-5 and force a decider. However, the match took a controversial turn in the third set, when the Chinese lost her cool with a linesman after attempting to chase down an overhead shot.
Just days after Sabalenka faced backlash for her frustrated behavior with a ball girl, Zheng Qinwen engaged in similar conduct. The 22-year-old lashed out at a linesman, positioned not far from where she attempted to return Aryna Sabalenka's lob, accusing him of obstructing play.
Fans did not take kindly to Zheng "screaming" at the linesman and attempting to blame him for losing the point. Many pointed out that he was standing at a fair distance from World No. 7, arguing that her behavior was evidence of her "sore loser" tactics.
"She really doesn't do herself any favours - she was about a metre away from the linesman, this is so dumb," one fan commented.
"Really wanna like her but her sore loser antics are unbearable to watch im sorry," another fan chimed in.
"Qinwen Zheng SCREAMING at a line judge and BLAMING him for being in the way when she was NOWHERE NEAR HIM. Oh you are trash. And would use any kind of tactic to win. Let’s go SABALENKA!!!!" a fan posted.
"Being emotional and arguing is normal, but going off at a linesman that is standing in this place in literally every match is ridiculous," said another.
Fans continued to lambast the 22-year-old over her "pathetic" conduct, expressing their disapproval of her decision to vent her frustration at the linesman.
"That’s quite pathetic really," one fan wrote.
"Ewww just picking a line judge to vent her anger. Not a nice look," another fan posted.
"I really don't get the idolizing around her in this sub. All signs point to her being an absolutely obnoxious person," a fan argued.
Others, meanwhile, contended that Zheng Qinwen's "appalling behavior" validated the complaints about her attitude from players like Emma Navarro and Donna Vekic.
"Perhaps Navarro, Vekic and the others do have a point," one fan commented.
"If so many players had to say smth about her, for sure there is smth going on. And in China she really seemed more annoying than usual," another fan argued.
"Appalling behaviour no wonder the players don't like her," said yet another.
"Aryna Sabalenka forced me to see the weaknesses in my tactics" - Zheng Qinwen after Wuhan Open final loss
Apart from her controversial incident with the linesman, Zheng Qinwen also faced backlash for offering a "cold" handshake to Aryna Sabalenka after her loss in the 2024 Wuhan Open final. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old expressed her excitement to face Sabalenka again, with the hopes of overcoming her 0-4 record against the World No. 2.
Speaking in her post-match press conference, Zheng credited the three-time Grand Slam champion for forcing her to identify the "weaknesses" in her game to focus on during training.
"She forced me to see some of the weaknesses in my tactics. I really look forward to training. I look forward to the next match against her. After this loss, I'm feeling excited because I am doing better each time. There's more room for improvement. I hope that I can close the gap and also can overcome this challenge," Zheng Qinwen said.
Zheng Qinwen could have the opportunity to face Aryna Sabalenka again at the 2024 WTA Finals if she secures a spot in the year-end championships. Zheng has moved up to the seventh spot in the race after her run to the Wuhan Open final, increasing her chances of being one of the eight players headed to Riyadh.