Zheng Qinwen’s woes continue after losing 1st-round French Open match to Polish qualifier
China’s ex-world No 4 bagelled as she struggles to regain form after injury issues; Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong also loses opening match
Zheng Qinwen’s troubled tennis career took another bad turn on Monday, as she was dumped out of the French Open in emphatic fashion by qualifier Maja Chwalinska.
The Polish 24-year-old, who is ranked 114 in the world, dispatched her more illustrious opponent 6-4, 6-0.
A quarter-finalist in Paris last year, Zheng also won Olympic gold on the same clay courts in 2024, but has struggled to regain the form that propelled her to world No 4 after undergoing elbow surgery last year.
The 23-year-old took treatment for a foot problem midway through the second set before her first defeat in the opening round of the French Open.
Chwalinska, who came through three rounds of qualifying and dished out two bagels along the way, showed no mercy and wrapped up the win to book a clash with 23rd seed Elise Mertens in the second round.
In a later match, Chwalinska’s compatriot Iga Swiatek kicked off her quest for a fifth title at Roland Garros with a swift 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian wild card Emerson Jones.