Serena Williams' former coach, Rennae Stubbs, analyzed how Aryna Sabalenka handles losing matches much better than Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng.
Sabalenka has enjoyed a phenomenal season, including winning the Australian and US Opens and finishing as the year-end No. 1 for the first time in her career. Ending 2024 at No. 1 was a major goal for the Belarusian.
However, Sabalenka still suffered some tough losses this year. For example, she fell to the eventual champion Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals, meaning her wait for a first title at the season-ending tournament will continue for at least another year.
One notable thing about Sabalenka is how cordial she is at the net after defeats. The world No. 1 always makes sure to congratulate the opponent and does not show any bitterness after tough losses.
That contrasts with how she was as a young player. By her own admission, Sabalenka used to be a very bad loser, but the three-time Grand Slam winner consciously decided to correct that behavior.
22-year-old Zheng's terrific breakthrough season included winning Olympic gold in Paris, losing the Australian Open final to Sabalenka, and narrowly failing to win the WTA Finals after a thrilling battle against Gauff.
The quality of Zheng's tennis cannot be doubted, but she has also developed a reputation for being a bad loser. Her handshakes after defeats are always cold, usually without eye contact or words for whoever beat her.
Zheng admits to having no friends on the WTA Tour, but that is a conscious choice. The WTA Finals runner-up does not want to get too close to the women she competes against, feeling it could harm her.
That mindset may lead to a distant personality, which other players in the locker room might not like. For instance, during a heated moment at the net during the Olympics, Emma Navarro told Zheng she did not respect her.
Stubbs discussed the issue during an episode of the Rennae Stubbs Podcast. The Australian feels that Zheng might always take defeats badly, but she did not rule out the Chinese player maturing as Sabalenka did.
"Listen, I think she (Zheng) 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."
It is not just Zheng's behavior at the net after matches that sometimes generates attention. She was strongly criticized for shouting in a line judge's face for no reason during the Wuhan Open final against Sabalenka.
However, it is important to remember that Zheng is still very young at 22. There is much time for her to change some behavior that can sometimes seem a little unsavory.