Zheng Qinwen Makes Interesting Confession About Public Fallout With Ex-Coach Wim Fissette After Defeating Naomi Osaka

Back in September 2023, right after the US Open, Zheng Qinwen and her coach Wim Fissette had a nasty public fallout. Zheng was upset that Fissette broke his contract mid-term and went back to her rival, Naomi Osaka. At the Italian Open 2024, Zheng had a sweet moment to savor, as she beat Osaka 6-2, 6-4 in their Round of 16 match on Monday.

However, after the match, the Chinese star had some kind words to say for Osaka even though she refrained from directly taking Fissette’s name. In an interview with the Tennis Channel, she was asked about the 2023 fallout. Since Zheng Quinwen won her match convincingly, Prakash Amritraj wanted to know if that incident was playing on her mind subconsciously. Zheng was quoted as saying –

“If you ask(ed) me this few months before, after we break (broke the partnership). 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months (ago), I will tell you, ‘Yes, Absolutely.’ I got fired up, I got (wanted) to kill my opponents, I want to put my frustration out.

“But you ask me right now, after 6-7 months already, I will say, ‘No, she is just a normal match for me. I treat her like a usual opponent, of course.”

Zheng Qinwen added that she is in a much better headspace today and is ready to bury the hatchet with Osaka. This is mainly because Osaka is a mother now, and as a woman, Zheng understands what another woman goes through in such times. Therefore, she doesn’t want to continue this friction with her forever.

“I have more respect to her. Because she (has) come back as a mother. I think, as a woman, that’s really not easy. I have all the respect for all the tennis players, who come back as a mother.

This only a woman (would) know, how difficult is that. Yeah, so I treat her like big respect, like normal opponent. Nothing to think more. Just me against her, and let’s play. I will give my best anyway.”

While Zheng is saying nice words now, that wasn’t the case a few months as she became a part of one of the most ugliest fallouts in tennis history.

Zheng Qinwen Was in No Mood to Forgive Wim Fissette or Naomi Osaka

For the unversed, Zheng Qinwen started a collaboration with Wim Fissette after the French Open 2023. Fissette had been a Osaka loyalist and Zheng had split with her long-time coach, Pere Riba. Amid their contract, Fissette went back to the 4-time Grand Slam champion to work with her after pregnancy.

Zheng and her family were not happy with that development. She had said in a press conference back then –

“He broke the contract. This is very immoral. I understand his decision, but my family and I feel hurt. Right now I don’t want to talk about this person.”

Zheng Qinwen minced no words in expressing her anger and disappointment in public. She was returning from winning her gold medal at the Asian Games, and this sad news awaited her. Zheng felt helpless since she could do nothing about his decision, but somehow it affected her family also.

Zheng had gone on to express at length, how it felt at that exact moment when Fissette broke this terrible news to her.

“Right after the match, he said to me that he felt like he had no connection with me. He never said that to me before. Right after I was defeated, he said that to me. I felt very strange. It was quite a big impact to me and my team members and my family. I cried after hearing that. There were no fights, no arguments in our collaboration,” the Chinese player was quoted as saying in a media interaction.

Since then, Zheng Qinwen has come a long way. She has not only grown as a human but also improved significantly as a player. Zheng reached the finals of the Australian Open 2024, before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. Today, Zheng Qinwen is ranked 7th in the WTA rankings and is one of the favorites to win the Italian Open 2024. She will next face Coco Gauff in the quarter-final of the tournament.