Qinwen Zheng Trolls Aryna Sabalenka After Italian Open Upset

On Wednesday night, Qinwen Zheng defeated Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the Italian Open quarterfinal: 6-4, 6-3.

It was Zheng's first victory over Sabalenka in seven attempts. Following their intense match, Zheng offered effusive praise of the WTA World No. 1.

The Chinese superstar talked about how much respect she had for Sabalenka and recounted tales of following her career with admiration for years.

However, this is a zero-sum sport, and tennis is one of the most dramatic sports. So, it is only right to take a subtle shot at your longtime rival after pulling off an upset victory.

After conquering Sabalenka, Zheng posted three pictures from their match on her official Instagram account. The caption read, "山海皆可平 Semifinal @internazionalibnlditalia."

That translates to "Mountains and seas can be leveled." That is both a Chinese saying and a not-so-subtle reference to a quote Sabalenka gave when speaking of her rivalry with Zheng.

In October 2024, Sabalenka participated in an interview with China Xinhua News. During the sit-down interview, Sabalenka was informed that Chinese fans called her "the mountain that Zheng cannot overcome."

Aryna Sabalenka on Chinese fans calling her ‘the mountain’ that Qinwen Zheng is yet to overcome:

“I will continue working to make sure she cannot overcome this mountain.” 😂

(via @XHNews)

pic.twitter.com/cL0vuotGyM
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 9, 2024

Sabalenka smiled and said, "It's nice to hear that and it just means that I'm on the right way. I will continue working and make sure she cannot overcome this mountain."

It took seven months, but Zheng was finally able to level the mountain. Zheng is currently the No. 8 with a record of 13-7 and zero titles. She faces No. 4 Coco Gauff in the semifinal later today.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka will have a longer-than-usual break before clay court season concludes at Roland Garros later this month. She is 34-6 with three titles this year.

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