How menstrual cramps crushed Zheng Qinwen’s French Open dreams

Zheng Qinwen’s troubles doubled while playing against Poland’s Iga Swiatek at the French Open. The 19-year-old suffered menstrual cramps on Monday during her clash against the world’s number one tennis player.  

Zheng was forced to take a medical time out at 3-0 down in the second round. At first, she had her back massaged on the court and later exit the arena. She went to the locker room and came back with tight straps tied on her right thigh.

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While it was not clear what issues Zheng faced with her right leg, she later addressed her period cramps. “Yeah, the leg was also tough. That compared to the stomach was easy…I cannot play my tennis, (my) stomach was too painful”, the 74th seed told reporters.

“It is just girls’ things, you know. The first day is always so tough and then I have to do sport and I always have so much pain on the first day. And I couldn’t go against my nature”, she added.

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Zheng’s struggle was clearly reflected in her performance on Monday. Swiatek led the first set of her fourth-round game. She then went on to extend her lead to  3-0, then 5-2.

Swiatek entered the day having won 20 sets in a row, and 48 of her preceding 49, Associated Press reported.

Zheng, while speaking about her time on the court, said that she wanted to be a man while playing so she did not have to suffer through the pain. “I wish I can be a man on the court, but I cannot in that moment…I really wish I can be (a) man (so) that I don’t have to suffer from this”, she said, CNN reported.

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Zheng, who gained popularity at the Australian Open, said that she did give her best after all and was happy with how far she had come into the competition.