Zheng Qinwen's towel incident sparks criticism from international fans: Are players nowadays so lazy?

Zheng Qinwen achieved her third consecutive victory against Stephens, securing a decisive 6-3, 6-2 win at the Miami Open to advance to the third round, where she battled through three sets to defeat Keys. However, a bizarre towel incident cast a shadow over this otherwise unstoppable triumph, with fans directing their dissatisfaction toward the Chinese player.

The incident occurred during the second set. At that time, Zheng Qinwen was leading 4-0, and her service game was tied at 15-15. Stephens won that game. During the break between games, Zheng Qinwen requested a towel, and a nearby ball kid promptly approached to deliver it.

But confusion ensued. The two towels were identical in color, and the ball kid mistakenly handed Stephens's towel to Zheng Qinwen. Zheng hesitated and did not take it, waving her hand to signal "no" and stepping back. The ball kid did not immediately realize the mistake and continued to approach.

After a moment, the ball kid recognized the error and quickly exchanged the towel. Zheng Qinwen then took the correct towel to wipe her sweat and subsequently returned it.

The match resumed without any delay. Zheng Qinwen remained composed, and her serve continued to be highly dominant. Although her first-serve success rate was not high, she faced only one break point and achieved an impressive 84% first-serve win rate. She also broke Stephens's serve four times, converting four out of six break opportunities. However, when the towel incident gained traction online, fans reacted strongly, criticizing Zheng Qinwen.

As this video spread rapidly, several fans on social platform X criticized Zheng Qinwen, with many commenting on her attitude toward the ball kid at the Miami Open.

For many years, ball kids have been an integral part of tennis events, and one of their primary duties is to hand towels to players between points, helping players maintain the rhythm of play after long and exhausting rallies. However, this routine procedure changed after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

One fan commented on this: "Aside from hygiene concerns, this is another reason to prevent ball kids from being mistreated by players and tennis management. I thought such mistreatment had been eliminated in tennis after the pandemic." Another netizen wrote: "Her expression was like 'don't bring that towel near me.'" These posts quickly garnered thousands of likes and shares.

Interestingly, according to the health and safety protocols established in 2020, players were required to retrieve towels themselves from racks behind the baseline. This adjustment aimed to reduce contact and enhance hygiene safety. The new rule posed challenges for players, many of whom had to run to the back of the court within the 25-second serve clock to get their towels. Some players complained that this time limit seemed impractical after lengthy rallies.

By the end of 2024, ATP Tour events reinstated the service of ball kids handing towels to players, aiming to ensure smooth match flow. By 2026, some tournaments tested a hybrid model where ball kids held baskets or trays without directly touching the towels.

At this Miami Open, ball kids once again handed towels to players. For Zheng Qinwen, this situation became quite tense. Another fan added: "Once again, why should children handle players' towels!? Are players nowadays so lazy!?" Another wrote: "Can't you just get your own towel? This is disgusting."

Earlier this month, Coco Gauff also expressed her views on the towel-handling issue. In a widely circulated video from the "Love All" podcast, where host Blair Henley discussed with former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters about reinstating the practice of ball kids handing towels to players, Gauff said: "I also don't want ball kids touching sweaty towels, haha. I wouldn't want to either; I always feel bad giving them sweaty towels." What are your thoughts on the entire incident? Feel free to share your views below.Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark