Qinwen Zheng gives her honest opinion on Naomi Osaka now after she appointed her former coach

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Qinwen Zheng explained exactly how she previously felt about her old coach ditching her for Naomi Osaka.

Wim Fissette coached the 21-year-old in 2023, which was her breakout season on the WTA Tour.

She reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open in September, but after Aryna Sabalenka knocked her out of the tournament, Fissette had other plans.

The 44-year-old, who had previously worked with the likes of Kim Clijsters and Simona Halep, shockingly joined the camp of Osaka, who he once worked with once before.

Zheng’s encounter with the four-time Grand Slam champion at the Italian Open was their first meeting since the Belgian abruptly ended their partnership.

Qinwen Zheng explained her previous thoughts on former coach and playing Naomi Osaka

After defeating Osaka in straight sets, the 2024 Australian Open runner-up told Tennis Channel exactly what she thought of Lisette in the aftermath of his decision to coach the former World Number One.

“If you asked me this a few months before, after the split, I would have told you yes, absolutely,” Zheng replied after being asked if the situation played on her mind during the match. “I got really fired up, I wanted to kill my opponent and I wanted to take my frustration out.”

Though there was some anger previously, Zheng issued a glowing assessment of Osaka, who she defeated for the first time.

“But asking me right now after many months, I will say she (Osaka) was just a normal match for me and I treated her like a usual opponent,” she added. “It was just me against her and I will give my best anyway.

“I have more respect for her because she came back as a mother and I think as a female athlete that is not easy, only women know how difficult that is.”

How Qinwen Zheng defeated Naomi Osaka at the Italian Open

Zheng, who is now working with Coco Gauff’s former coach Pere Riba, was able to find more consistency than Osaka during their fourth round clash.

She took advantage of the Japanese star’s struggles on serve, as she made just 27% of her first serves in set one.

Zheng broke her opponent’s serve three times in the first set and that momentum continued in set two as she moved into a 2-0 lead.

Osaka, who managed just eight winners for the match, held serve for the rest of the set, but was unable to make a breakthrough on Zheng’s serve, who claimed a 6-2, 6-4 win and will face Gauff in the quarter-finals.

“I know she’s always really tough to beat, doesn’t matter what surface it is,” Zheng added. “She won a lot of Grand Slam titles before, and it’s not easy to come back after being a mother.

“I’ve always had a lot of respect for players like this. I think today, I tried to give my everything on court and tried to fight. I’m really proud of myself.”