"I really wish I can be a man": Chinese tennis star as menstrual cramps end French Open bid

Paris: Chinese teen Qinwen Zheng, who got defeated by World No 1 Iga Swiatek at the French Open, has blamed her loss in the latter stages on menstrual cramps and wished to "be a man... I don't have to suffer from this".

According to The Telegraph, Zheng was unable to sustain her lead or the blistering pace she set and fizzled to a 5-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 loss.

Later, the 19-year-old player said the "girls things" was the reason for her physical issues and also voiced frustrations about the struggles of women during their menstrual cycle.

She said, "It's just girls things, you know. The first day is always so tough and then I have to do sport and I always have so much pain in the first day. And I couldn't go against my nature. I wish I can be a man on court, but I cannot in that moment when I say, I really wish I can be man that I don't have to suffer from this. It's tough."

Zheng, who is ranked 74th in the world, had to take a medical timeout at 3-0 down in the second set during which she got her back massaged and came back with her right thigh strapped. However, the treatment did not help much as she dropped eight games in a row.

The tennis player said, "In first set I was just trying to play my tennis and I didn't felt pain in my stomach, so I was able to really get there and say, 'Come on!' (encouraging myself) to have good attitude and some blood in the match.

"After (that), I just had too much pain in stomach. And I wanted to fight, I really, really wanted to fight, but I just didn't have the power and it was really tough. I couldn't show my tennis today in the second and third set... I'm really not happy with my performance." (UNI)

(Photo Source: Twitter/Roland-Garros)