"A lot of controversial stories about Zheng Qinwen" - Donna Vekic reveals reasons behind frosty handshake with Chinese after Paris Olympics final loss

Donna Vekic missed out on winning the singles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, falling short against Zheng Qinwen in the final. Vekic's frosty demeanor towards Zheng during the customary post-match handshake sparked curiosity, and the Croatian has since disclosed the reasons behind her conduct.

Zheng made history with her triumph at the prestigious sporting event in Paris, claiming a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over Vekic to clinch China's second Olympic gold medal in tennis. The Croatian also achieved a significant milestone for her country, earning the nation's first medal in women's singles at the event.

Jubilant after her victory, Zheng Qinwen fell to the ground as the passionate crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier erupted in celebration. The World No. 7 then made her way to shake hands with Donna Vekic, who kept the exchange brief and frosty.

In an interview with Croatian publication Jutarnji, Donna Vekic clarified the reasons behind her chilly exchange with Zheng Qinwen, laying bare her frustrations with the World No. 7's conduct during the match.

The Croatian raised complaints about Zheng repeatedly delaying her serve because of minor distractions in the crowd and claimed that the Chinese star took "completely incorrect" timeouts. Vekic also conspiratorially hinted at the myriad "controversial stories" floating around about the Chinese star but refrained from providing further details.

"She kept delaying the service. As soon as someone's voice was heard or someone moved in the audience. She took time-outs completely incorrectly. We cannot expect spectators to sit like statues. There are also a lot of controversial stories about her, but I won't talk about that now," she said.

Despite her grievances, Vekic took pride in securing the silver medal for her country, calling it a fulfillment of her "life's dream." Although she expressed disappointment over falling short of clinching the gold medal, the 28-year-old also conceded that Zheng Qinwen was the better player in the contest.

"I am extremely proud and happy to have won a medal for Croatia, I have fulfilled my life's dream. The day I won the semi-final was one of the happiest in my life. Now I'm a little disappointed because I wanted the gold, but Zheng was better. I can't forget or dismiss what I did in these weeks, I'm honest," she added.

Zheng Qinwen also had a controversial net exchange with Emma Navarro at Paris Olympics

Zheng Qinwen (Source: Getty)

Prior to her frosty handshake with Donna Vekic in the Paris Olympics final, Zheng Qinwen also found herself embroiled in controversy over her contentious net exchange with Emma Navarro in the third round.

In addition to Zheng's hard-fought 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-1 comeback win over the American, the clash garnered attention for the duo's heated exchange at the net. Speaking to the press afterwards, Navarro disclosed that she had conveyed to the World No. 7 that she didn't respect her as a competitor.

The American disclosed that her lack of respect stemmed from Zheng's "cut-throat" behavior, which she believed wasn't conducive to camaraderie in the locker room.

"I just told her I didn't respect her as a competitor. I think she goes about things in a pretty cut-throat way. It makes for a locker room that doesn't have a lot of camaraderie, so it's tough to face an opponent like that, who I really don't respect," she said.

Zheng Qinwen later revealed that the American had also said that she couldn't understand why Zheng was so popular among fans. Despite Navarro's harsh comments, the Chinese star took the criticism in stride, emphasizing that she didn't view it as an "attack," since the comments were made after a tough loss.