In what can only be described as a chilling moment at the net, Donna Vekic and Zheng Qinwen shared a frosty handshake after their Paris Olympics final. The tension could be felt lingering in the air between the Croatian tennis star and the young Chinese player.
When questioned about the incident, Vekic didn’t hold back, revealing that there were “a lot of controversial stories” circulating about Zheng in the locker room. However, she chose not to delve into the details, leaving fans and spectators alike curious about the drama surrounding the rising Chinese star.
The Paris Olympics final saw the 28-year-old Vekic fall to the 21-year-old Zheng in a 2-6, 3-6 defeat. Despite acknowledging Zheng’s exceptional performance and admitting that the Chinese player was the better athlete that day, Vekic couldn’t ignore the glaring issue of the tense handshake that took place post-match.
In an interview with a Croatian newspaper, Vekic confirmed her annoyance towards Zheng, attributing it to the perceived gamesmanship displayed by the young talent. “She was constantly delaying the service, as soon as someone’s voice was heard or someone moved in the crowd. She took time-outs completely incorrectly. We cannot expect spectators to sit like statues. There are a lot of controversial stories about her, but I won’t talk about that now,” Vekic expressed to the publication.
It seems Zheng’s behavior had not gone unnoticed by her opponents, as evidenced by Emma Navarro’s comments after her round-of-16 match against the Chinese player. In a hard-fought battle, Zheng managed to defeat Navarro, but not without leaving a mark on the American player’s perception of her opponent.
“I just told her I didn’t respect her as a competitor. I think she goes about things in a pretty cut-throat way. It makes for a locker room that doesn’t have a lot of camaraderie, so it’s tough to face an opponent like that, who I really don’t respect. But, kudos to her, she played some good tennis there at the end. She played better than me, so congrats to her,” Navarro shared about her experience facing Zheng on the court.
As the drama unfolds and tensions rise in the tennis world, one thing is clear – the competitiveness and passion of the players are unmatched, making every match a spectacle to behold.
