"It's just girls' things, I really wish I can be a man that I don't have to suffer from this" - Qinwen Zheng on suffering from menstrual cramps during French Open loss to Iga Swiatek

Qinwen Zheng became the first player in more than a month to take a set off Iga Swiatek, winning the first set in a tie-break during their fourth-round encounter at the 2022 French Open. However, following a medical timeout in the second set, the Chinese capitulated to a 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 loss.

At her press conference after the match, Zheng revealed that she was suffering from menstrual cramps in addition to a leg injury for which she took medical assistance. The teenager, understandably disappointed, remarked that she did try her best to play through the pain, but in the end it was too much for her to power through.

"Yeah, the leg was, yeah, it was also tough. That compared to the stomach was easy, yeah, the most bother me today to I cannot play my tennis is stomach was too much painful," Zheng said. "But I really give my best on court, it's just, it's tough, yeah. it's just girls, girls things, you know."

Zheng further expressed her regret saying that she wished she was a man so that she did not have to go through something like this during such an important encounter, but admitted that it was part of being a woman in sports.

"The first day is always so tough and then, you know, I have to do sport and I always have so much pain in the first day. And I couldn't go against my nature," she said. "I wish I can be a man on court, but I cannot in that moment when I say, I really wish I can be man that I don't have to suffer from this. It's tough, yeah."

Since her admission, Zheng has received unanimous support from fans on social media, with many praising her for opening up about an issue that not many athletes talk about.

"I think that if I can give more energy and more blood, I think the match can be something different" - Qinwen Zheng on her loss against Iga Swiatek

Qinwen Zheng reckons she isn't too far off the level of the top athletes on the WTA tour

During the press conference, Qinwen Zheng also touched on her performance against Iga Swiatek, noting that she felt really good about herself. While the World No. 74 conceded that Swiatek deserved to go through to the next round, she was of the opinion that their levels were not too different.

With a few more quality training sessions and match practice under her belt, Zheng was confident that she could push the World No. 1 even harder the next time they cross paths.

"I feel she have a really good forehand on clay, a lot of spin, she's able to put me out of the court. But if you talk about only tennis, I think the level was not too much like big different," Qinwen Zheng said. "I think that if I can give more energy and more blood, more come on today on court with more better shape I think the match can be something different. But now it's too late to see everything, it's what happened, and I have to accept this and go for next match.

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Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Results