Zheng Qinwen’s troubled tennis career took another turn for the worse on Monday, when she was dumped out of the French Open in emphatic fashion by qualifier Maja Chwalinska.
The 24-year-old Polish girl, who is ranked 116th in the world, dispatched her most famous opponent 6-4, 6-0.
A quarter-finalist in Paris last year, Zheng also won Olympic gold on the clay courts in 2024, but has struggled to regain the form that took him to world No. 4 after undergoing elbow surgery last year.
The 23-year-old took treatment for a foot problem in the middle of the second set before losing for the first time in the opening round of the French Open.
World No. 114 Chwalinska, who made it through three qualifying rounds and dropped two defeats along the way, showed no mercy and wrapped up the victory to face either Tatjana Maria or 23rd-ranked Elise Mertens in the second round.
In the next match, Chwalinska’s partner Iga Swiatek began her quest for a fifth Roland Garros title with a quick 6-1, 6-2 victory over Australian wild card Emerson Jones.
