"Horrible, she's just not likeable"; "Like Jelena Ostapenko": Fans angered by Zheng Qinwen's 'cold' handshake with Aryna Sabalenka after Wuhan loss

Zheng Qinwen has once again sparked controversy with her post-match conduct, this time facing backlash for her cold handshake with Aryna Sabalenka. The duo locked horns in a blockbuster title clash at the 2024 Wuhan Open, with Sabalenka emerging victorious over the home favorite.

After suffering crushing straight-set losses to Sabalenka in the Australian Open final and US Open quarterfinals earlier this season, Zheng was aiming to turn the tables at the WTA 1000 event. However, the World No. 2 displayed her resilience to claim a hard-fought 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory, clinching her third consecutive title in Wuhan and extending her perfect record against the Chinese to 4-0.

Seemingly disappointed over her loss, Zheng Qinwen barely made eye contact with Aryna Sabalenka as she offered the Belarusian a handshake. Sabalenka seemed amused by the Chinese's conduct, smirking after the brief exchange.

Given that Zheng previously came under fire for her "rude" handshake with Sabalenka after their US Open clash, several fans argued that her latest "horrible" exchange revealed a pattern that validated Emma Navarro's complaints about the Chinese's "cutthroat" behavior.

"Zheng can’t offer up even a second of eye contact? Jesus," one fan commented.

"Lol @ at all the people in here saying it's "a regular Qinwen handshake". Just because she always behaves badly doesn't make that bad behavior magically good. And handshakes as well as mentioning your opponents may be just a formality, but it's a sign of respect, and actively disregarding that is very telling," another fan chimed in.

"Horrible. Not a fan of Qinwen ngl. She’s just not likeable man. I can’t root for her," one fan wrote.

"Zheng when she wins always gives warm handshakes. She is a sore loser! This is what Emma Navarro was referring to about how she doesn’t know how she has fans," said yet another.

Others likened Zheng to Jelena Ostapenko for her contentious post-match exchanges. One fan even suggested that the 22-year-old should take a leaf out of Ostapenko's book and simply offer a racket tap, much like the Latvian did with Victoria Azarenka in a controversial incident.

"Zheng is slowly entering Penko territory and I am loving it," one fan posted.

"She's like a Chinese ostapenko. Moody ball basher with a wacky serve," another fan wrote.

"Next time Qinwen," said another.

Meanwhile, some fans poked fun at Aryna Sabalenka's hilarious reaction to the "cold" exchange.

"Im dead the side eye😭😭😭 oh aryna the icon you are," one fan quipped.

"Sabalenka immediately wiping her hand afterwards kills me 🤣🤣," another fan joked.

"The Aryna never fails to make that face right after someone's cold handshake sends me every time 😭🤣🤣," said another.

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"I'll get more wins against Zheng Qinwen in the future" - Aryna Sabalenka on 'working hard' to maintain perfect record against the Chinese

Before the commencement of the 2024 Wuhan Open, Aryna Sabalenka made the bold claim that she would make sure that Zheng Qinwen "cannot overcome this mountain" against her.

Speaking in her press conference after the final, Sabalenka acknowledged that the 22-year-old has made significant improvements over the past year but took satisfaction in her ability to still triumph over the World No. 7.

"I would say that compared to the last year, we met at the US Open, compared to this year, yeah, she definitely improved. There is more consistency in her game. Probably playing a little bit more aggressive," Aryna Sabalenka said.

"I think she improved her backhand a little bit. There is definitely improvements. She's moving well, serving well. I see the improvements. I'm really glad that still with these improvements I'm able to get these wins against her," she added.

The World No. 2 also emphasized her intention to continue working hard and improving alongside Zheng to ensure that she maintained the edge in their rivalry.

"We play three big matches against each other. I'm really happy that I'm still able to get these wins. As I said I think at the beginning of the tournament, I'll keep working hard make sure, even if she's improving, I'm going to be improving more, and I'll get more wins against her in the future," she said.

Aryna Sabalenka recently also lavished praise on Zheng Qinwen, crediting the 22-year-old's Paris Olympics gold medal win for significantly boosting the popularity of tennis in China.