Is Zheng Qinwen unfollowing Riba again, signaling another "breakup"?

The main focus of this week's tour is the competition at the WTA500 Merida event. This year’s lineup includes Paolini, who has reached a Grand Slam singles final. Moreover, Chinese player Zhang Shuai impressed fans by winning two consecutive qualifying rounds to secure a spot in the main draw.

According to the women's singles draw, Zhang Shuai's first-round opponent is American player Lepchenko. The winner will face the tournament’s second seed Navarro, who holds a much higher world ranking than Zhang. However, Navarro’s performance this season has been average, so if Zhang passes the first round, their second-round match will be worth watching.

Zheng Qinwen continues to rest this week. The current top Chinese female player is expected to compete next at the Indian Wells tournament in March. Even without participating in this week's tour events, Zheng remains a major focus for fans.

Recently, Zheng Qinwen's activity on her personal social media has sparked discussion. On Instagram, she not only changed her profile picture but also unfollowed coach Riba. She added a Nietzsche quote to her bio: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how," meaning that knowing one’s purpose in life helps endure any hardship.

These actions have raised doubts about whether the two are still working together. Since 2021, when Zheng traveled to Spain for training, she officially began collaborating with the renowned Spanish coach Pere Riba. During their partnership, Zheng successfully transitioned from a junior player to a professional.

In the 2023 season, around June, Zheng faced fluctuations in her performance, leading them to pause their cooperation. During this break, Riba joined Coco Gauff’s team, and Gauff quickly won the US Open singles title.

Meanwhile, Zheng won titles in Palermo and Zhengzhou tours. Her team also experienced a coach suddenly leaving. By the end of the 2023 season, Riba rejoined Zheng’s team. During this period, Zheng achieved significant career milestones, including being runner-up at the 2024 Australian Open and winning the women's singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In 2024, her highest world ranking reached number five.

Afterward, Zheng encountered familiar injuries and surgery. At the same time, Riba also had to undergo hip surgery at the end of 2024 due to a recurring old injury. However, by early 2025, Riba had returned to Zheng’s team.

There is no doubt that Riba is an excellent coach, but Zheng Qinwen, as a highly individualistic player, has her own considerations when choosing coaches. So, do you think Zheng is planning to change coaches this time? Which coach do you think suits her better?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)