French Open star bursts into tears during press conference - 'I need to start all again'

Qinwen Zheng burst into tears during her post-match press conference at the French Open and had to compose herself several times. The former world No. 4 has dropped down the rankings in recent months after an elbow injury, and surgery forced her out of competition. She has struggled to find momentum since returning to the tour in February, and suffered a bruising 6-4 6-0 defeat to qualifier Maja Chwalinska on Monday.

Less than two years ago, Zheng won an Olympic gold medal on the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros. She has now suffered her first opening-round defeat at the French Open and looks set to drop outside of the top 100. And the 23-year-old became understandably emotional after the match.

The Chinese star admitted she didn't do enough from 4-4 in the first set, and Chwalinska held to love, then broke to love to take the set. Zheng didn't win another game after that, and struggled playing on the smaller Court 7, instead of one of the showcourts, which has more room behind the baseline.

"I think, of course, the match doesn't go my way this time, and... honestly, it was tough conditions for me. The weather has been really hot today, she had a really good game on clay-court, and when she played high balls to me, I couldn't go that far back a lot of times," the current world No. 56 said.

"I don't have more space in the back court, there was one time I hit a referee behind the line. Yeah, I mean, there is some key moments, such as 4-4, I'm not doing well, but that's tennis. I have to go back, work harder, and let's see next time where is my moment.

"I think it's more like... the nerves and the pressure today didn't allow me to play the tennis that I want. Of course, I had some great points, great games, but in important moments, such as 4-4, I remember I lost straight away four points on her service game and three points in my service game, that usually doesn't happen to me. And also, I need to accept today that, okay, I didn't play well, I lost the match, Roland Garros first round, it's really, really tough on me, takes this time to handle it."

Zheng had been visibly upset during the post-match press conference, but she started sobbing after giving that explanation, and cried into a tissue before she was asked another question. "Sorry, go ahead," the Olympic champion said, but she sobbed again before taking a deep breath and composing herself, explaining that she called the physio mid-match to re-tape a foot blister.

Choking back tears, she continued: "Well, of course it's hard for me to take when I lost the match, but... it was really hard for me, the match, losing today. But like I said, that's tennis, the match doesn't go my way and especially, today, a lot of the time, going to the back of the court, I felt there was no more space. Obviously, she was doing well to play really, really high balls with the top spin. Yeah, there's nothing more I can say, I only can take the loss, and let's see when I can move on."

Zheng is now projected to drop well outside of the top 100 and will soon need wildcards to enter top tournaments. And she's hoping to find the positives as she starts from scratch.

"For me, I didn't pay too much attention to my ranking, but of course, I need to start all again, and that's going to be different," she said. "But I think it's also going to be kind of positive for me, because I've got to play a lot of matches. For me, I think the problem was I need a lot of matches to get into the rhythm.

"I think, of course, I want to win the match, and I love here in Roland Garros, but I would say sometimes pressure makes me play better, but today this pressure doesn't allow me to play freely like I want. And like I said, in 4-4, the key moment, I have to say, I did really badly. I lost seven points in a row. After, in the second set, I'm trying to do, I'm trying, keep trying, but it's just I didn't find a way today and that's tennis, I need to accept it and there is nothing more I could say."

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