WATCH: Zheng Qinwen keeps Aryna Sabalenka waiting at net following WTA Finals loss; heads to towel box in bizarre mix-up

Zheng Qinwen and Aryna Sabalenka opened the WTA Finals on Saturday, November 2, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with their round-robin match. After the match point, Zheng mistakenly headed to the towel box instead of proceeding to the net for a handshake.

Both players have had remarkable seasons, and Saturday marked the fifth time they’ve faced each other on the WTA Tour since turning pro. Sabalenka, who had won all their previous meetings, extended her record against Zheng with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

This is Zheng's first appearance at the year-end tournament and will continue in the round-robin stage, facing her next opponent, Elena Rybakina. Meanwhile, Sabalenka will face Jasmine Paolini and focus on surpassing her semifinal exit from last season.

After the Sabalenka-Zheng clash, a clip of Sabalenka's match point was posted on X (formerly Twitter). It featured Zheng, unaware it was match point, heading to the towel box to clean her hands and racket, while Sabalenka waited at the net for a handshake.

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Zheng Qinwen shares her thoughts on competing in Saudi Arabia

Zheng Qinwen discussed competing in Saudi Arabia before facing Aryna Sabalenka. - Source: Getty

Just before her first match against Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 WTA Finals, Zheng Qinwen was asked by the press if she had any personal reservations about playing in Saudi Arabia regarding women’s rights and the LGBTQ community. In response, she stated that she views each tournament simply as another match, regardless of location.

“No, actually I am not worried because doesn't matter where I go, I just play tennis. It's just a tennis tournament for me. I stand on the court, I play against another opponent, that's it.” - Zheng Qinwen said

She added that she values showcasing women’s strength in sports and feels responsible for representing female athletes’ energy on the court.

“Especially I felt if they can watch more woman athlete, how they are fighting on court. I feel sport is very beautiful to show the power of woman, to show the fight of woman, to show the energy. So I think it's positive things that we have a tournament here because... I don't know, I always feel there's type of responsibility on my shoulder.” - She added

Zheng is currently at a career-high No. 7 on the WTA Tour, which is her best season so far. She started strong, reaching the Australian Open final, where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka. Zheng won titles at the Palermo Ladies Open, and Japan Open. She also won the women’s singles gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first Asian tennis player to achieve this feat.