Qinwen Zheng is no stranger to controversies and she was part of one also during the 2024 Wuhan Open.
In recent weeks, the Chinese player has been fighting for the last remaining spot to qualify for the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh. Playing in front of her home fans certainly boosted her chances of succeeding, and she has used them very well so far.
At the China Open in Beijing, Zheng reached the semi-finals, and she reached the same stage at the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan. This means she currently has a 282-point lead over her closest competitor for the last qualifying spot, Emma Navarro.
However, Zheng's journey to the semi-finals in Wuhan wasn't smooth sailing. In the third round, she played against fellow former Grand Slam finalist Leylah Fernandez, who had beaten her in both of their previous matches.
The Canadian triumphed when they met in 2022 in Monterrey, and she was also the better player this year in Doha. In their match in Wuhan, Fernandez was the better player early on, winning the first set 7-5.
After the match, Zheng revealed that one reason she was losing early on was that she was not feeling well physically, as she felt hurt in her stomach when she entered the court.
"The match was tough for me because when I entered to the court, I feel hurt in my stomach. So my body shape wasn't 100%. That's why I'm really happy to get this match, even when I'm not there in my physical, yeah."
But that wasn't the main storyline of the match. After Fernandez won the first set 7-5 and couldn't use one break point to lead 2-0 in the second set, she served at 1-1 in the second set with the players locked in a deuce.
It was at that moment, as the video below shows, that Zheng decided to speak to Leylah's dad and coach, Jorge Fernandez, who was sitting in her players' box.
The Chinese player wasn't happy about Fernandez always talking to his player, which she voiced. The Canadian player was furious about Zheng's action, calling her 'disrespectful' as the umpire stepped in to calm the situation, telling Zheng to talk to her if she had any problems.
After the match, which she ended up winning in three sets, the leading contestant for the last WTA Finals spot explained what happened from her point of view, maintaining that Fernandez's father was distracting her.
"Actually, I was distracted in the first set by what the dad was saying because Leylah was on the other side. He was always talking, C'mon, c'mon, before I started to return. That's why I think I lost the game when I was 30-Love, because I was a little bit distracted."
"After that, he continued doing it. Plus, the pain I had in the stomach, the fight against the opponent. One moment, I couldn't hold it anymore. I said to him: 'You must talk before I start to return?'"
Zheng also maintained that she wasn't disrespectful, as she addressed Fernandez's coach and father without using any bad words, just voicing her problems.
"But, I mean, after that, actually, I started to feel better because it is what I had in my heart. I didn't say anything disrespectful. I just said what I felt without a bad word."
"I mean, it's tough to keep the concentration. That's why I'm happy today. With all the physical conditions and with the small things on court, I'm still able to play better at the end. I'm just happy to win this match."
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