Emma Raducanu was ready to take on the heat! The British player, who has struggled with injuries and illness since winning the 2021 US Open, is now making strides again. At the Queen’s Club for the HSBC Championships, she beat Cristina Bucșa and Rebecca Šramková in the first rounds without dropping a set. Pretty impressive, right? With these wins, she reached the quarterfinals. But new obstacles awaited, and fans were not happy.

On June 13, Raducanu showed flashes of her quality but lost 6-2, 6-4 to the Olympic champion in front of a packed crowd. The 22-year-old took a medical timeout after the first set due to back spasms she has struggled with for months. She started strong in the second set, leading by a double break, but couldn’t keep Zheng’s big hits at bay. However, that wasn’t the main issue.

According to the Tennis Weekly podcast on X, Qinwen took a brief break in the middle of her serve! They wrote, “Zheng changing her shoes at 30-40 on the Raducanu serve… not sure about that. Feels unsportsmanlike at such a key moment break point down. Could she not have waited until the end of the game? #HSBCChampionships.” It definitely seemed to throw Raducanu off.

Grass isn’t Zheng’s best surface. Last year at Wimbledon, she was an early shock, losing in the first round to Lulu Sun—who later reached the quarters and famously beat Raducanu. Zheng managed only one grass-court win last season, and that hasn’t improved in 2023. Raducanu, the underdog in their recent match, had more grass experience, reaching three quarter-finals on grass over the past year.

Under the blazing sun in the Andy Murray Arena, Zheng faced a tough crowd. She tried to quiet the wildly partisan fans. She swapped racquets midway through Raducanu’s first service game, then calmly changed her shoes when Raducanu was 30-40 up on her next serve.

The Queen’s Club crowd, too polite to boo, responded with tutting and sarcastic clapping. They cheered when Raducanu won a game. But on X, fans were even louder, voicing their displeasure over Zheng’s gamesmanship.

Fans call out unsportsmanlike behavior during Emma Raducanu’s match

One fan couldn’t hold back their disbelief: “Sorry but why was Zheng allowed to change her shoes during the middle of a game, should of been at the end, not fair on raducanu.” In tennis, even without a running clock, you generally can’t change shoes mid-game when your opponent is about to serve. There are strict time limits—25 seconds between points, 90 seconds at changeovers, and 120 seconds at set ends.

Changing shoes almost always breaks these limits and risks a time violation, which can lead to point penalties. Plus, any deliberate delay, like changing shoes without a real emergency, is usually penalized. That’s why players get changeovers between odd-numbered games and sets to catch a break. Another fan chimed in, “I’m surprised the umpire let her do it.”

One fan was downright flabbergasted by the irony: “Why was Zheng allowed to change her shoes? Mid -match. So one-sided. Anyone else-not a chance. MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!!!” It does seem a bit unfair. Fans often grumble about umpire decisions in tennis. Some players get warnings or time violations for disruptive behavior, while others slip through.

Another fan pointed out why Zheng picked that moment: “Playing games on Emma’s serve. These things never happen on her own serve.” It’s often seen as a tactic to distract opponents. Similarly, Iga Swiatek also faced backlash for “disruptive” tactics, like during her 2025 AO semi-final against Madison Keys. After losing the second set 6-1, Swiatek took a lengthy toilet break, then did shadow practice before the deciding set, which annoyed Keys and some fans.

Another fan didn’t hold back on calling out Zheng’s attitude: “It was unsportsmanlike. Blatant gamesmanship. If it’s going to take 10 minutes to change a pair of shoes at 30-40 on your opponent’s serve, you wait.” Tennis rules stress continuous play with strict time limits. Changing shoes without urgent cause likely breaks these rules and can bring penalties. If a player’s shoe breaks mid-point or game—like a sole detaching or lace snapping—the umpire may allow extra time. But otherwise, delays aren’t tolerated.

Zheng herself addressed the shoe change in her post-match interview: “I want to apologize for my shoes. I didn’t want to fall two times, but I just don’t know how to run on grass,” she said sheepishly. “I still don’t know when I have to change the grass shoes. I think right now is the time, so it’s the new shoes. I feel much better to run.”

So, there you have it—straight from the horse’s mouth. But will the fans let this go? Only time will tell. Qinwen is now set to face Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu will have to wait a bit longer before chasing her next title.