Zheng Qinwen suffered a slight setback forward of the 2024 season because the world No. 5 is about to be with out coach Pere Riba through the upcoming Australian Open.
Since reuniting in late 2023, the 2 have had nice success collectively because the Chinese language gained the Paris Olympics this yr, in addition to made the finals on the Australian Open and WTA Finals. Additionally, she made a top-5 debut.
Zheng Qinwen and Pere Riba© Pere Riba/Instagram – Honest Use
However since Riba – who ended his professional profession in 2018 after injuring his hip in an accident – is about for a hip surgical procedure, he will not be capable of accompany Zheng at Melbourne Park. As a substitute, the 22-year-old is about to work with Dante Bottini, who’s a really well-known teaching identify within the recreation.
Nevertheless, in accordance with Marca, the previous Spanish tennis participant needs to be able to rejoin the Chinese language’s staff within the spring when the time comes for the WTA 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
How Zheng feels about Riba as her coach?
Of their first stint, they labored for 2 and a half years and the Spaniard helped the present world No. 5 set up herself as a WTA participant. However the true enchancment and development occurred of their present stint, which made Riba as one of many candidates for the WTA Coach of the Yr.
And Zheng completely loves what the 36-year-old brings to the desk.
“He at all times has lot of ardour on tennis. That is necessary. He actually needs to be a superb coach. Not so many coaches on tour have any such ardour. Many coaches, they simply contemplate this as a excessive prize job. However there are just a few coaches on tour, they actually love the tennis, they need their participant to grow to be the perfect, they need their participant to enhance each single day. I feel he is any such coach,” Zheng mentioned of her coach in Riyadh.
