During the Wuhan Open in October 2024, a heated confrontation occurred between Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen and Leylah Fernandez’s father, Jorge Fernandez. The incident took place during their third-round match and quickly became a talking point in the tennis world.
The Incident: Zheng Qinwen, who was aiming for a spot in the 2024 WTA Finals, faced Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the Wuhan Open. The match started off well for Fernandez, who won the first set 7-. However, things took a turn when Zheng was visibly distracted by Fernandez’s father, who was loudly cheering and giving instructions from the player’s box.
Zheng’s Reaction: Zheng, feeling disrupted by the constant noise and distractions, paused the game to address the issue with the chair umpire. She claimed that Fernandez’s father’s behavior was affecting her concentration and rhythm during the match. The situation escalated when Fernandez herself asked Zheng what the problem was, leading to a tense exchange.
Post-Match Comments: After the match, Zheng expressed her frustration in a post-match interview. She stated that she believed the distractions caused by Fernandez’s father contributed to her loss. Zheng emphasized that she never intended to disrespect Fernandez or her family but felt that the situation was unfair and affected her performance.
She said: “Actually, I was distracted in the first set by what the dad was saying because Leylah was on the other side. He was always talking, C’mon, c’mon, before I start to return. That’s why I think I lost the game when I was 30-Love, because I was a little bit distracted. After that, he continued doing it. Plus the pain I had in the stomach, the fight against the opponent. One moment I cannot hold more. I said to him, You must talk before I start to return?” Zheng shared.
“But, I mean, after that actually I start to feel better because of what I have in my heart. I didn’t say anything disrespectful. I just say what I feel without a bad word. I mean, yeah, it’s tough to keep the concentration because first set you see. That’s why I’m happy today. With all the physical conditions and with the small things on court, I’m still able to play better at the end. I’m just happy to win this match.”
Zheng in Wuhan, ranking, and results in 2024
At the moment ranked no.7 (career-high), Qinwen has achieved a composed 45-15 win-loss record in 2024. The Chinese is playing in Wuhan where she defeated Unknown Player bye, the world no.75 Jaqueline Cristian 6-2 6-4, the world no.28 Leylah Annie Fernandez 5-7 6-3 6-0
, the world no.6 Jasmine Paolini 6-2 3-6 6-3 and the world no.51 Xinyu Wang 6-3 6-4.Qinwen Zheng will fight against the world no.2 Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Sunday at 4:30 pm on Centre Court. Their actual record is 3-0 for Sabalenka.
Zheng clinched 2 titles in 2024 in Palermo and Paris. The Chinese was the runner-up at the Australian Open.
Qinwen won 4 titles in her career: 1 on hard courts and 3 on clay courts. (See the list of her titles)
Zheng has scheduled to compete next in Ningbo (Ningbo Open). She will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 14th of October.
Leylah Fernandez in 2024
Currently the world no.28, the Canadian played her last match on the 10th of October when she surrendered to world no.7 Qinwen Zheng 5-7 6-3 6-0 in the 3rd round in Wuhan (draw).
During this season Fernandez achieved a compiled 26-22 win-loss record. Leylah Fernandez’s best performance of the current year was getting to the final in Eastbourne.
Fernandez has scheduled to compete next in Osaka (Japan Open Tennis Championships). She will start to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 14th of October.
Qinwen Zheng and Leylah Fernandez fought against each other 3 times. Their actual head to head record is 2-1 for Fernandez.