Quote of the Day: Don’t expect a hug or happy face from Zheng Qinwen, only “basic respect”

No handshake drama here: It’s all about showing “basic respect” between competitors—and nothing else.

That’s been Zheng Qinwen’s philosophy on post-match handshakes in tennis, as the sport’s unspoken rules have once again sparked discourse and fierce debate during the start of the new season Down Under.

Read More: Inspired by Billie Jean King, Zheng Qinwen puts calm face on tough Australian Open first round

The topic this time is the frosty meetings at the net between reluctant opponents, who after spending hours battling away on court share barely a handclasp and a slight nod before parting ways. If the players have history or if the match was particularly contentious, that interaction becomes rife for analysis and dissection on social media.

Some players take it a step further. Danielle Collins raised eyebrows after highlighting a shot of herself actually rolling her eyes while greeting Iga Swiatek during last week’s United Cup. She then poked fun at the moment by sharing a screenshot to her social media, before making it her Instagram profile picture.

Read More: Why did Danielle Collins change her Instagram profile picture to an Iga Swiatek handshake photo?

Zheng has made much more serene progress at the Australian Open, where the 22-year-old has returned as last year’s runner up. Zheng isn’t one to shy away from letting her disappointment show after a defeat, but she appeared placid on Sunday against Anca Todoni after securing a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory against the qualifier.

“Doesn't matter if I win or I lost, I always give a handshake,” she said after her first-round victory. “But not always I give a handshake with a smiley face. This I know (about) myself.”

Q: You've spoken before about you're not interested in having friends on the tour. What do you think about handshakes at the end of matches? Do you mind doing those? Do you think they're a bit of a strange thing?

ZHENG QINWEN: Well, I always give a handshake to my opponent because I feel that's the basic respect. Doesn't matter if I win or I lost, I always give a handshake.

But not always I give a handshake with a smiley face. This I know (about) myself.

Usually I don't often give a hug to my opponent as well, because I feel that is not necessary for me. I just come here for play a match. If I lost, I will give you just a basic respect and that's it.

That's why you will not see me lose one match with a happy face to the opponent. If you saw that on me, that is very strange, which means I don't care about that match on that day! (laughter)

Zheng’s hyper-competitive outlook has taken her to world No. 5 in the rankings, but it hasn’t always rubbed players and tennis fans the right way. She’s no stranger to criticism for her version of drive-by handshakes, while her approach was branded as “cut-throat” by Emma Navarro after Zheng defeated the American at the 2024 Olympic Games. But the Chinese player was laughing in the end, as she went on to clinch the singles gold medal in Paris.

Read More: Emma Navarro had some words for "cut-throat" Zheng Qinwen after Olympics defeat

Unbothered by all the discourse, Zheng is taking it all in stride in Melbourne where she’s seeking her first major trophy. She’s comfortably into the second round, and awaits the winner of Laura Siegemund and Hailey Baptiste, whose match was rescheduled due to rain.