Zheng Qinwen did two very impressive things on Monday: First, she took off Iga Swiatek then she opened up on a subject that is almost never discussed in the world of women’s tennis: menstrual cramps.
During her press conference after succumbing to a hard-fought 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 defeat against the world number one, the Chinese player revealed that she had been suffering from stomach cramps for almost all the time. the game.
While Zheng Qinwen noted that she did her best to overcome the encounter, she was ultimately disappointed to have to go through such an inevitable ordeal during a crucial clash.
“Yeah, the leg was, yeah, it was also hard. Compared to the stomach, it was easy, yeah, what bothers me the most today is that I can’t play tennis, it “is that the stomach was too painful”, Zheng Qinwen said. “But I really do my best on the field, it’s just, it’s hard, yeah. It’s just girls, girl things, you know. I wish I could be a man on the field, but I can’t at this moment where I say, I really wish I could be a man without having to suffer from this.”
The world number 74’s courage has taken to social media, with many fans praising her for shining the spotlight on a rather taboo subject. Several prominent tennis players also took to Twitter to congratulate the teenager, recounting their own struggles with the issue.
18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert was the most notable of them, remembering that she lost several important matches for the same reason. Evert said she regrets never bringing up the issue when she was playing.
“There were some big matches I lost because I tripped because of my period. I wasn’t one to make excuses, but I wish I’d talked about it,” Evert tweeted in solidarity with Zheng Qinwen.
Catherine Whitaker, tennis commentator and co-host of The Tennis Podcast, was one of the most outspoken women on the issue. She noted that she had to plan her bathroom breaks around her menstrual cycle.
Whitaker said this was an important debate to have in public spaces, so that more people become aware of the difficulties women face when performing at the highest level.
“I live in fear of having my period for a week when I present on TV. And that involves no strenuous physical activity, no monitoring of my bathroom breaks (unless I work with a floor manager very diligent) or the requirement to wear white,” Whitaker tweeted in response to Zheng Qinwen’s comments. “It’s time to talk about periods.”
Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters also agreed with Whitaker’s comments, while the Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig was also happy to see the discussion in public.
Puig particularly disapproved WimbledonThe country’s policy of all-white clothing, implying that it made it difficult for women who were menstruating during the tournament.
“Yes Yes Yes!” Clijsters tweeted.
“Definitely something that affects female athletes! I’m finally bringing it to everyone’s attention! Not to mention the mental stress of having to wear white to Wimbledon and praying you don’t get your period for those two weeks,” tweeted Puig.
Like Zheng Qinwen, Iga Swiatek has also publicly discussed the issue of menstrual cramps in the past.
Zheng Qinwen’s openness about her menstrual cramps was rightly praised, but few women discussed the issue with equal transparency in front of the Chinese player.
One of them is the one who defeated her on Monday, Iga Swiatek. Following her elimination from the 2021 WTA Tour Finals, the world No. 1 opened up about her struggles with premenstrual syndrome, noting that it was very difficult for her to concentrate.
Swiatek added that she made this revelation as a message of solidarity with young girls around the world and to show them that this is a completely normal thing that even top athletes are not against. ‘shelter.
“I don’t want to make excuses or anything like that. It’s quite difficult to talk about it because I know in sports it’s not that common,” Swiatek said. “But PMS really hit me that day. I tell this to any young girl who doesn’t know what’s going on. Don’t worry, it’s normal. Everyone gets it.”
