Eileen Gu finishes perfectly and receives congratulations from Djokovic, while Zheng Qinwen’s silence stirs controversy again, sparking a frenzy on international platforms.

At the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, the Chinese sports delegation once again shone brightly. In the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe final, Chinese star Eileen Gu clinched the gold medal with a commanding lead—her first gold of these Games. With this victory, Gu’s total Winter Olympic medal count reached six, setting a new record in freestyle skiing and bringing a perfect close to her Olympic journey.

After the event, as congratulations poured in from global sports stars, one familiar name drew attention for its “absence” — China’s top female tennis player Zheng Qinwen, who has yet to make any public statement. This time, the ongoing discussion among domestic netizens has been joined by international social media and foreign online communities.

Following Gu’s gold medal win, social media was instantly flooded with well-wishes. The most notable came from tennis legend Novak Djokovic. Holding 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic reposted Gu’s victory poster on Instagram with a heartfelt congratulatory message. Some fans joked, “This is mutual respect between GOATs (Greatest of All Time).”

Even more exciting for fans was the discovery that Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz also liked Gu’s gold medal post. The interaction between these two top stars from tennis and skiing quickly ignited enthusiasm among international sports fans, many marveling at Gu’s impressive global stature.

However, amid this globally celebrated atmosphere, Zheng Qinwen—also Chinese, competing in a major international sport, and regarded as a leading figure of China’s new sports generation—has remained silent on her social media accounts. Up to the time of reporting, there has been no public interaction such as likes, comments, or shares from Zheng regarding Gu’s gold medal achievement.

This silence has caused ripples beyond the Chinese internet. With Djokovic and Alcaraz’s public engagement boosting Gu’s gold medal’s international attention, many foreign netizens and sports media have started noticing this “subtle absence.”

On overseas social media, some users dug up “old issues” from the 2024 Paris Olympics. At that time, Gu was criticized for actively interacting with Chinese athletes on domestic platforms while only congratulating Western winners abroad, ignoring China’s historic achievements. Now with roles reversed, some international commenters remarked, “It’s like looking in a mirror. When kindness is given selectively, don’t expect unconditional cheers in return.”

A user named @TennisFan_EU wrote: “Celebrating Western athletes only on Western social media, and embracing Chinese champions back home is a ‘split-screen’ behavior that ultimately makes everyone uncomfortable.”

Of course, many rational international voices caution against overinterpretation. A sports blogger who follows the scene closely noted, “The ATP and WTA schedules are extremely tight. Zheng Qinwen just returned at the Doha tournament and is fully focused on tennis. Athletes aren’t social media influencers; they aren’t obligated to acknowledge every champion online.”

As the story continues to unfold, several domestic media outlets have offered sharp commentary. One foreign media outlet bluntly stated, “The relationship between these two has always been complicated.”

“This ‘complication’ has long been evident. From a commercial standpoint, according to American sports business media Sportico, Eileen Gu ($22.1 million) and Zheng Qinwen ($20.6 million) ranked second and fourth among the highest-earning female athletes globally in 2024. They are currently the two most commercially successful ‘international idols’ in Chinese sports. One is a pioneer in winter sports, capitalizing on the nationwide Winter Olympics enthusiasm; the other is a new flagbearer in tennis, the world’s most mainstream and commercialized sport. Their commercial endorsements and market influence naturally put them in direct competition,” foreign media reported.

Experts analyze that the deeper contrast lies in their public images and stances. During the Paris Olympics, Gu faced backlash for “double standards” on social media—posting group photos with the Chinese team domestically but only solo shots internationally. In contrast, Zheng Qinwen has repeatedly expressed strong patriotism on the international stage and has directly confronted racial discrimination online, solidifying her image as deeply rooted in Chinese identity. This stark contrast led many netizens to reflect, “Did Gu ever imagine this moment when she didn’t congratulate Zheng?”

As the Milan Winter Olympics conclude, Gu will end her Olympic journey with one gold and two silvers, while Zheng Qinwen continues to sweat it out on the tennis court aiming for a Grand Slam breakthrough. These two iconic figures of Chinese sports dominate their respective fields yet maintain a subtle “zero interaction” publicly. As some netizens put it, this might be the so-called “king avoids king.”

Perhaps the friendship between athletes doesn’t need to be proven through public social media. But in the digital age, every like is a token of goodwill, and every silence inevitably invites interpretation. For Chinese sports, having two such outstanding and commercially valuable international idols is undoubtedly a fortunate challenge. Whether their relationship is one of “rival kings never meeting” or a tacit “each rules their own realm,” only time will tell.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)