Wang Xinyu suffered a shocking upset after the holiday break, while Zheng Qinwen unfollowing coach Pere Riba—was it a slip or the end of their relationship?

It was quite surprising that both top player Zheng Qinwen and second-ranked Wang Xinyu trended on the same day!

After withdrawing from the Dubai 1000 and coming back at the Austin 250, everyone focused on Wang Xinyu’s formal return after the holiday. In fact, many held high hopes for her, believing that with few strong opponents in Austin, Wang was poised to challenge for her first professional championship.

Before Wang Xinyu’s first-round match against Masarova, some boldly predicted they were eager to see Wang sweep through the match and kickstart her title pursuit.

China’s second-ranked player was seeded third in the tournament, while Masarova entered through the qualifiers, showing a huge difference in status; moreover, they had met before in the Cluj 250 event’s second round, where Wang Xinyu had won in straight sets, marking her 100th career victory, giving her a clear psychological edge.

Additionally, having just joined the TOP30 club, Wang Xinyu was highly motivated and surely aimed to continue improving her career-high ranking, with great hopes of securing a commanding win.

However, when this much-anticipated match ended, the surprise quickly turned to shock. The decisive victory did not go to Wang Xinyu but to Masarova. The Chinese second seed lasted only 62 minutes before being swept 3-6, 2-6, causing the biggest upset since the start of the Austin 250 tournament.

After the match, some expressed regret, saying they expected Wang Xinyu to come back from the holiday break like a fierce tiger full of energy. Unexpectedly, after withdrawing from the Dubai 1000, her form cooled off, leading to a complete loss of rhythm. Fans could accept Wang’s loss, but not such a sweeping upset; even a three-set defeat would have been easier to bear.

Nonetheless, some defended Wang Xinyu, suggesting she might be suffering from holiday syndrome and hadn’t fully shifted out of the Lunar New Year break mode yet. Losing was understandable, and fans could still look forward to her upcoming doubles matches with Zheng Saisai.

Although the scoreline looked harsh and gave the impression of a total domination, Wang Xinyu still showed some positive aspects and was not entirely outclassed or utterly helpless.

In the opening set, Wang Xinyu forced three consecutive break points during Masarova’s first service game but failed to convert them. That setback might have shattered her confidence instantly, leaving her unable to recover mentally. This likely caused her sudden collapse in the second set after leading 2-1, as she lost five straight games and handed over the match.

While Wang Xinyu’s loss was painful to watch, the consolation was that she earned at least one ranking point and maintained her current position, remaining 30th in the world rankings.

Zheng Qinwen has become a hot topic recently due to an unexpected move: she unfollowed her coach Pere Riba on social media.

When this news spread, some netizens hinted that if it wasn’t a slip, there must be an undisclosed conflict between Zheng Qinwen and Pere Riba, as unfollowing usually signals a serious fallout.

According to current speculation, most believe Zheng Qinwen’s unfollow was intentional, indicating problems in their collaboration, with signs pointing to trouble “long in the making.”

When Zheng Qinwen returned from Doha, it was noticed that Pere Riba suddenly disappeared from her player box, sparking rumors about their partnership issues. Zheng’s team did not comment, and after Zheng withdrew from Dubai, Pere Riba was still not seen back with her.

These two unusual incidents happened close together. Initially, there was no public doubt because, as one netizen said, Pere Riba had once rescued Zheng Qinwen from a slump, and their relationship was believed to be rock-solid. While others might leave Zheng’s team, Pere Riba’s departure seemed unlikely, so people assumed it was just a temporary absence due to important personal matters and nothing to worry about.

Only after Zheng Qinwen updated her social media and unfollowed coach Pere Riba did people realize that his prior disappearances were not accidental. This likely revealed underlying issues between them. With China’s top player now unfollowing the Spanish coach, it is speculated they have effectively parted ways, pending only a formal announcement.

Pere Riba and Zheng Qinwen began working together in 2021, briefly split in 2023, but quickly reunited afterward.

This Spanish coach returned with the momentum of having helped Coco Gauff win a Grand Slam and soon made Zheng Qinwen shine. During their partnership, he helped her break into the world’s top ten for the first time and achieve runner-up finishes at the Australian Open, the year-end finals, and a 1000-level tournament, as well as win the Olympic singles gold medal in Paris. He has been a key factor in Zheng’s commercial rise, making her one of the highest-earning female athletes in sports for two consecutive years.

If this breakup is true, many believe Pere Riba will not return. The reason is that his contribution to Zheng Qinwen’s progress is now considered limited, and she should have switched to a new coach long ago. Thus, the brief split and reunion in 2023 likely won’t happen again.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)