Zheng on the WTA tour: "I prefer to keep my distance from the other players".
Present at the WTA Finals for the first time in her career, Qinwen Zheng was asked about her relationships with the other players on the circuit.
The Chinese player admitted that she prefers not to make friends with her rivals: "My answer is very clear. I always prefer to keep my distance from other players.
If I become friends with someone and have to fight against that person, I feel I can't concentrate and play at 100%.
If it's a friend, I want her to succeed and feel good. It goes against what a tennis tournament is all about.
Once I understood that, I decided not to make friends on the tour because there are a lot more people outside the WTA. Why should I make friends here? I'm here to play and win matches.
I say hello to the other players and we congratulate each other on our results. But that's as far as it goes."