Zheng Qinwen complained about her ranking being insufficient, leading to forced schedule postponement; facing Keys, she stated she is prepared to fight with all her might.

After winning in the second round at Indian Wells, Zheng Qinwen talked about the rain delay that postponed her originally scheduled match time, filled with helplessness and grievance.

Zheng Qinwen revealed after the match that she had waited in the preparation room for the entire morning. When she finally received the notification that her match was canceled, the second women's singles match had already finished, and the third was about to start, but the tournament organizers informed her that her match was postponed to the next day. Regarding this, the Chinese star described the absurd day in a tone of resignation: "For me, this is really strange."

“I had been waiting there since Friday morning. When they announced my match was canceled, the second match had already finished. The third match was also about to begin. So I think this was a very strange decision. Because it’s not easy for us. Now among the winning players, someone needs to play three consecutive matches. But this is tennis. If you’re not among the top ranks, you can’t decide your own schedule.” Zheng Qinwen said helplessly.

But the Chinese top player admitted that such an experience actually motivated her more, stating, “So for me, I can say I need to fight hard to emerge from the ‘jungle.’ Once I return to the top, everything will become a bit easier.”

Many netizens expressed empathy toward Zheng Qinwen’s remarks. One commenter noted, “Yes, tennis is just that realistic. Fonseca and Iera can bring high ticket sales and push defending champion Menshik into the central court. Sabalenka, as the world number one, even if they informed her about postponing the match in a consultative tone, eventually her match started as scheduled. A player must consistently deliver convincing results to gain recognition from all sides, then you can have voice and choice!”

However, some netizens argued, “It’s not just her whose schedule was postponed; why does she like to complain?” A netizen immediately replied, “But the issue is, if you see Gauff already advancing to the fourth round while Zheng Qinwen still needs to prepare for the third round, such disparity is hard not to complain about!”

In the interview, Zheng Qinwen also mentioned the upcoming match against Keys. Regarding the strategy for this match, the Chinese top player appeared exceptionally pragmatic, admitting: “Strive to fight, play each match well, and try to win the match—this is the most important thing for me. As for how the ball is played, we’ll talk about that later.”

Zheng Qinwen emphasized that more importantly, she is still searching for a long-missing feeling: “I need more matches to regain my feeling on the court, especially when adrenaline surges—that passion, enthusiasm, and desire during matches.”

She specifically mentioned the type of opponent she needs: “I particularly need either very close scores or opponents who can push me to the limit. I need such matches to help me regain my form on the tennis court.”

Regarding this, a well-known tennis commentator analyzed on social media: “Zheng Qinwen’s candor deserves recognition. Transitioning from a top player to needing to re-adapt to high-intensity matches is indeed tough. Her self-awareness is very clear—this isn’t a technical issue but a rebuilding of match feel and physical memory.”

Netizens’ reactions were quite enthusiastic. A user with the ID “Tennis Youngster Charge” commented: “I appreciate Zheng Qinwen’s honesty—no excuses, directly stating she needs to regain her form. This is the attitude of a professional athlete.”

“A four-month gap is indeed not easy, but I believe she can fight back to the top.” Another netizen “Grand Slam Dreamer” expressed support: “The metaphor of jungle survival is too vivid; top-level sports competition is essentially a brutal jungle law.”

Some netizens held a more cautious stance. “Court Philosopher” wrote: “Regaining form takes time, but the current tour won’t wait for you. How to regain form during matches while striving for good results is the challenge Zheng Qinwen needs to solve.”

For this Chinese star who once shone on the WTA tour, the path to fighting back to the top from the “jungle” will inevitably not be smooth. But as she herself said, once she returns to that position, everything will become a bit easier. Every step now, whether the helplessness of waiting or the pain of adaptation, is a necessary path toward the top. For fans, witnessing this process might be more meaningful than simply waiting for a match victory.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)