After Emma Raducanu's accusations, Zheng Qinwen reveals why she frequently changed her shoes during Queen's Club encounter

Zheng Qinwen has revealed why she kept changing her shoes during her match against Emma Raducanu at the Queen's Club Championships. Raducanu earlier accused Zheng of causing frequent stoppages during their match, which ended in a straight-set loss for the Brit.

Zheng was seen skidding and sliding on the grass during her match against Raducanu, which led her to change her shoes. The Chinese was also seen changing her shoes during the sixth game of the deciding set of her semifinal against Amanda Anisimova on Saturday; that match ended in a loss for Zheng.

In an interview with the Chinese media, the 22-year-old spoke about the discomfort caused by her shoes throughout the match against Raducanu. She said:

“I have to say that I could not concentrate on playing but worried about my shoes. I noticed there was something wrong with my shoes, but I didn’t realise that the sole has been unglued until the third set.”

This issue, she elaborated, was caused by her not receiving her new shoes in time for matches from her kit sponsor, Nike. She was forced to use shoes she hadn't used in a long time, since her junior years.

Zheng added:

“I couldn’t keep going as I have slipped a few times [in the match against Raducanu]. Since I arrived here, I was wearing the shoes from last year’s Wimbledon. I know exactly when I should change shoes either on the hard court or the clay court, but I’m not sure while playing on grass.”

Zheng Qinwen also commented on the crowd's reaction to this incident during her match against Emma Raducanu.

---

Zheng Qinwen on the British crowd's reaction in match vs Emma Raducanu

Zheng Qinwen at the HSBC Championships - Image Source: Getty

Zheng Qinwen felt clueless about what she needed to do while facing issues with her shoes on the grass at the HSBC Championships. The crowd that cheered for Emma Raducanu also jeered Zheng and expressed their dislike towards the stoppages. In her post-match interview, she said:

"After that slip, I say, I have to go change the shoes or I’m gonna break my leg. But I didn’t know the crowd was so unhappy about my changing shoes. You know, it’s not what I can control that...Then, you know, it was not easy for me today to play in front of all the British crowd."

The tennis star will now commence her Berlin Open journey on June 17.