"That's why I think I lost the game": Zheng Qinwen speaks out on tense exchange with Leylah Fernandez's father

Zheng Qinwen spoke about the distraction she felt due to Leylah Fernandez's dad's shouting during their tense fourth-round match at Wuhan Open. The gold medalist faced a tough challenge against the 2021 US Open finalist but emerged victorious, continuing her impressive form.

The Canadian started strong, taking the first set 7-5 and serving well early in the second. When the score was 1-1, play was briefly halted as the Chinese player spoke with her opponent's box. Fernandez then asked the 5th seed what she had said, and the conversation even reached the umpire.

From there, the match shifted. Zheng raised her level, broke serve, and won 11 of the next 13 games to secure a huge 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 victory. During the post-match interview, the world No. 7 addressed the exchange she had with Leylah Fernandez's father, who is also her coach.

"Actually, I was distracted in the first set by what [Fernandez's father] was saying because Leylah was on the other side. He was always talking, 'C'mon, c'mon,' before I started to return. That's why I think I lost the game when I was 30-Love because I was a little bit distracted," Zheng Qinwen said.

"After that, he continued doing it. Plus the pain I had in the stomach, the fight against the opponent. One moment, I couldn’t hold it anymore. I said to him, ‘You must talk before I start to return?’" she added. "But, I mean, after that, I actually started to feel better because it's what I had in my heart. I didn't say anything disrespectful. I just said what I felt, without bad words."

The 2024 Australian Open runner-up has been in excellent form over the past few months, with a 24-3 record since Wimbledon. After defeating Fernandez, she advanced to the quarterfinals, where she beat world No. 6 Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, moving into the semifinals of the tournament, just a week after reaching the same stage in Beijing.

Zheng will face her compatriot Xinyu Wang in an all-Chinese semifinal, ensuring that a local star will be in the final. The Paris 2024 gold medalist is chasing her first WTA 1000 final while also battling Emma Navarro for a spot in the WTA Finals, a qualification that seems more likely after some inconsistent results from the American.