Serena Williams' ex-coach identifies why Zheng Qinwen looks 'cranky' at times

11/15/2024 07:15 PM

Rennae Stubbs doesn't want to label Zheng Qinwen "a bad loser" but believes that the 22-year-old doesn't deal with defeats particularly well and that's probably why she looks "cranky" at times. 

This year, the Chinese tennis star was one of the most successful players after winning the Paris Olympics and finishing as runner-up at the Australian Open and the WTA Finals. But while her game often gets praised, some fans have taken an exception with how the world No. 5 acts after matches - it didn't happen once that she delivered a cold handshake at the net after a loss.

Also, some players like Emma Navarro and Donna Vekic publicly indicated that Zheng doesn't enjoy the best reputation in the locker room and that there are certain stories about her. 

The Australian tennis legend, who won five Grand Slams in doubles and also coached Serena Williams during the 2022 US Open, says she sees certain resemblance between the Chinese and the old Aryna Sabalenka. And since the 26-year-old Belarusian learned how to change that over time, Stubbs hopes something similar will be the case with the Paris Olympics gold medalist.

"Listen, I think she (Qinwen) is a player who's always going to be, not a bad loser, that's not the right word, but a player that's always going to feel a sting when she loses. And Sabalenka is a great loser, but she feels a sting, but they respond very differently. And Sabalenka's talked about it. She was a bad loser. She took it so much. And Maybe Qinwen will get there, where she won't be as cranky after she loses," the former doubles world No. 1 said on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.

During this past WTA Finals, Zheng told reporters that she does not have WTA friends because she thinks being close with her competition would not be a good thing for her.