Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen made headlines at the US Open by advancing to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought victory against Croatia’s Donna Vekic. The match, which ended with scores of 7-6, 4-6, 6-2, was overshadowed by racist insults from the audience, but Zheng’s determination was clear.
Facing Racism with Strength
During the match, a spectator yelled the offensive term “yellow banana” at Zheng, a slur used to demean Asian athletes. Despite this, Zheng remained focused and responded with a classy comeback. As she prepared to serve, she boldly mouthed, “I’ll beat you,” and ultimately secured her win. The incident was captured by courtside microphones, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
Support from Social Media
After the match, Zheng received a wave of support on Chinese social media. The hashtag “Zheng Qinwen fought back racism” quickly trended on Weibo, where many praised her courage and strength. Not only on Weibo, but many were also praising her on X as well.
While some were confused as to why the term “yellow banana” was used as a slur to Zheng as it had nothing to do with her.
Continuing to Make History
According to Radii, Zheng’s victory earned her a spot in the quarterfinals, making her only the second Chinese woman to reach this stage at the US Open, after Li Na’s achievements in 2009 and 2013. Zheng’s powerful serves, including a record-breaking 20 aces earlier in the tournament, were key to her success.
Watch the video here:
@phoenixtvnews 👑Queen Wen! During the US Open match between Zheng Qinwen and Vekic, some members of the audience disrupted Zheng by moving around a lot and causing chaos, and Zheng hit back: I’ll beat you! By the way, she did beat Vekic to win the match.😂 #zhengqinwen usopen usopen2024 tennis sports fyp
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