Qinwen Zheng started her grass season off well this week, reaching the semi-finals at the Queen’s Club Championship.
On her way there, she came through a tough opener against McCartney Kessler, then overcame Emma Raducanu, who was not moving freely.
But Zheng’s run in London hasn’t come without controversy. In her match against Raducanu, the Queen’s crowd grew frustrated as Zheng paused play several times to address issues with her shoes.
She did the same thing again in the next round against Amanda Anisimova – but this time, it didn’t help her as much.
While players are allowed to stop and change shoes if needed, some felt the timing of Zheng’s pauses – often on her opponent’s serve – crossed a line.
Qinwen Zheng called out for changing shoes again at Queen’s
Speaking on The Tennis Podcast, journalist Matt Roberts said he believes Zheng’s stoppages looked tactical rather than necessary.
“I gave her the benefit of the doubt yesterday because it was the first time we’d seen it, and it was early in the match,” he said. “But for it to happen two matches in a row, both on the opponent’s serve, makes it hard to ignore.”
Roberts continued: “I don’t believe the shoes went from playable to unplayable in two points. Unless something major happened in those points – which I don’t think it did – it feels off.”
“I get that she isn’t confident on grass right now, and maybe she’s genuinely slipping. But if you need to reset, do it at a changeover, or at least on your own serve. Otherwise, it starts to look like gamesmanship.”
He added that this kind of thing can quickly give a player a bad reputation: “I don’t think she wants to be seen as someone who uses tactics to disrupt play. It’s not a huge deal in isolation, but it adds up. I think she’d be wise to stop.”
Roberts said both Raducanu and Anisimova handled the situation well. “Raducanu was clearly annoyed but stayed professional. Anisimova just got on with it and held serve anyway.”
Zheng isn’t bothered by what people think
Questions about Zheng’s approach aren’t new. After their Queen’s match, Raducanu was asked if the two had become friends through their shared Chinese heritage. The answer suggested that while there’s respect between them, Zheng isn’t overly concerned with being liked on tour.
Despite the criticism, the attitude on court doesn’t seem to be a problem for her. At 22, she has already won an Olympic gold medal, reached a Slam final and sits at a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world.
Still, not everyone appreciates her approach. Emma Navarro is one player who has voiced frustration with Zheng in the past.
After a tense match last summer, Navarro said: “Without getting into details, I just felt a bit disrespected by her – both on court and during practice. I didn’t think she showed much respect for me or the game.”
But for Zheng, the results speak for themselves – and it doesn’t look like she’s going to change anything soon.
The post Qinwen Zheng gets criticised for ‘tactical’ move at Queen’s which could hurt her reputation appeared first on HITC.
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