"And maybe Qinwen will get there": Ex-coach of Serena Williams sees potential for professional growth in Zheng Qinwen's handling of defeat

Rennae Stubbs, the ex-coach of former world number one Serena Williams, remains optimistic that China’s Zheng Qinwen will start taking defeats more professionally. The 22-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing women's tennis.

She showcased her talent in 2024, where she finished runner-up in two very prestigious competitions. Qinwen first ended the Australian Open on the podium after losing to world number one Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-2. Most recently, in the WTA Finals, which is the last major event in the women’s tennis calendar, she finished as the runner-up after losing to America’s Coco Gauff in the final with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 7-6.

There has been some talk about Qinwen’s reaction after both defeats, especially in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she was more than just disappointed; she looked angry about the result. She was also criticised for having cold handshakes with her opponents after suffering defeats Ex-coach of the former world number one Serena, Stubbs, in her own podcast, has spoken about the matter in detail and expressed optimism that the reigning world number five will start taking defeats more professionally in the near future. Stubbs also suggested that Qinwen should learn it from someone like Sabalenka who has improved massively and can now be termed as a ‘great loser’.

"Listen, I think she (Zheng) is a player who's always going to be, not a bad loser, that's not the right word, but a player that's always going to feel a sting when she loses,” she said. “And Sabalenka is a great loser, but she feels a sting, but they respond very differently. And Sabalenka's talked about it. She was a bad loser. She took it so much. And maybe Qinwen will get there, where she won't be as cranky after she loses.”

Despite those defeats in big matches, Qinwen had an impressive 2024 season, where she won 48 out of 65 matches. Overall, she played in six finals this year, winning on three occasions and suffering a defeat in the other three. Her biggest title this year came in Paris, where she won a gold medal for her country after beating Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the final of the singles category event in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-3.