“I really wish I can be a man” Qinwen Zheng reveals she suffered menstrual cramps during her defeat to Iga Swiatek in the fourth round of the 2022 French Open
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Qinwen Zheng
World No. 74 Qinwen Zheng‘s astonishing run came to an end at the 2022 French Open when she lost to World No. 1 and top-seed Iga Swiatek in the fourth round. Swiatek won the match 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 in 2 hours and 45 minutes with both players putting a wonderful performance on the Phillipe-Chatrier.
Zheng made a big comeback in the first set as she was 2-5 down but ensured a tiebreaker and then came clutch to win the first set and become just the second player this clay season to take a set away from the in-form Pole. Zheng however could not replicate her performance in the subsequent sets as Iga came out firing on all cylinders and got the win. Zheng also picked up some physical issues during the match on which she commented in her press conference.
“I got really pained stomach and I try my best, but it’s just, in the second and third set, I couldn’t, I didn’t have the power to scream one, “Come on,” even and it was really tough. I want to fight, I really, really want to fight, but I just don’t have power and it was really tough. I couldn’t show my tennis today in the second and third set, even in the first set, I’m really not happy with my performance. The leg was, it was also tough. That compared to the stomach was easy, If I don’t talk about today, I’m happy with my performance all this run.
“To play against the No. 1 in the world, I feel I really enjoy on the court. If I don’t have my stomach, I think I could enjoy more, like to run better and hit more harder, to give more effort on the court. It’s pity that I couldn’t give that what I want to give today. I just want, the next time I play against her, I have the perfect shape and go for the next fight,” said Zheng during her press conference.
“I couldn’t go against my nature”: Qinwen Zheng
Reporters quizzed the 19-year old Zheng further on her physical conditions and the player was patient enough to address the fact that it was not in her hands to have control over this when she felt she had a great chance to cause an upset by defeating Swiatek who has now secured 32 consecutive wins matching the record of Justine Henin.
“It’s before the match already. Girls things. The first day is always so tough and then, you know, I have to do sport and I always have so much pain in the first day. And I couldn’t go against my nature. I wish I can be a man on the court, but I cannot at that moment when I say, I really wish I can be a man so that I don’t have to suffer from this. It’s tough, yeah,” added Zheng.
The run to the fourth round is expected to see Zheng make a big jump and moves further closer to entering the Top-50 of the WTA singles rankings.
Also Read: “I want payback,” Stefanos Tsitsipas issues stern warning to Alcaraz and Rune after French Open exit
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)