Zheng Qinwen has enlisted the help of a coach who guided Rafael Nadal to 22 grand slam titles, ahead of another shot at a Wimbledon title and a draw that has placed her on a collision course with Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka.
The world No 5 has struggled in South London in recent years, failing to make it out of the first round since 2022.
On Thursday, the 22-year-old was captured training with Spaniard Francisco Roig, who coached Nadal from 2005 to 2023 and was involved in all of his major triumphs.
While no details of Roig’s involvement have been made public, a split with main coach Pere Riba seems unlikely given their historic 2024 season that peaked with Olympic gold in Paris last summer.
The Spaniard also steered Zheng to a career-high world No 4 earlier this month.
Rafael Nadal with Franciso Roig after one of his French Open wins. Photo: Handout
Roig was part of Nadal’s camp for 18 years, working alongside a series of head coaches. In their first year together, Nadal won the French Open, his first grand slam title. Three years later, they won Wimbledon, a feat they repeated in 2010.
AloJapan.com