Zheng Qinwen broke down in tears at the press conference! Her world ranking has fallen to 117th, and the most troubling issue is not the loss itself but her mentality.

On May 26th Beijing time, a crucial first-round encounter of the French Open women's singles took place, where Chinese tennis flower Zheng Qinwen was defeated 0-2 in straight sets by qualifier Hvalinska, suffering a surprise first-round exit. This loss felt particularly abrupt for Zheng, who showed no competitive drive. The defeat also inflicted significant damage, as her world ranking plummeted to 117th, marking another career low. Zheng Qinwen was seen crying during the post-match press conference.

Zheng Qinwen is regarded as the hope of Chinese women's tennis, having reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 and making it to a Grand Slam final as the Australian Open runner-up, with her greatest achievement being the Olympic gold medal in Paris. However, since suffering an injury last season, Zheng has been frequently losing matches, struggling against every opponent and habitually starting slowly. Entering the clay season, which she excels at, Zheng was eager to find her form—she failed to reach the Round of 16 in Rome, and now in the first round of the French Open, she faced qualifier Hvalinska. This was their first meeting, and with little familiarity between them, it was uncertain whether Zheng could advance smoothly.

Hvalinska is not a tall player, holding a world ranking of only 114th and having advanced through the qualifiers. In the first set, Zheng quickly fell behind 1-4. Although she mounted a 3-0 run to level at 4-4, she then lost two straight games to drop the set 4-6. In the second set, Zheng was completely overwhelmed by her opponent, making constant errors and offering almost no resistance. She even took a medical timeout, but ultimately lost 0-6, resulting in a 0-2 defeat.

For Zheng Qinwen, the loss itself is not the scariest part; rather, it is the loss of her mindset. Her ability has declined sharply since the injury, and she no longer has the will to win. Moreover, Zheng is highly emotional on court—when she loses a match, her expression turns grim. The second set, where she was swept by Hvalinska, is a clear example. In the past, coming from behind was Zheng's specialty, but now she can be cleanly bageled with little chance of a comeback once she falls behind. Currently, the Olympic gold medal represents Zheng's greatest honor. To follow the French Open, watch on Migu Video; the women's singles tournament is ongoing!

Article by Sports Fiction