The “Happy Slam”? Well, Qinwen Zheng would be hard-pressed to agree. After a stellar 2024 season, the Chinese star came into Melbourne with high hopes and a hunger for redemption. But destiny had other plans. In a surprising twist, Zheng’s campaign came to a screeching halt much earlier than anyone expected, leaving fans and experts scratching their heads. And now, weighing in on the shock exit is none other than Serena Williams‘ ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs.

The Chinese tennis sensation witnessed a shocking second-round exit to Laura Siegemond in the second round of her campaign in Melbourne. Despite firing 11 aces, Zheng could not dominate the match and was left baffled in straight sets 7-6(3), 6-3. This has surprised many in the tennis community – with Stubbs being one of the first to speak out.

The 53-year-old took to her X and wrote, “Wow huge upset! Defending finalist out! @AustralianOpen,” signifying her shock. The astonishment is understandable, given the stellar season that Zheng witnessed last year. Remember, she was the runner-up in the Australian Open last year and fell short of the title narrowly after losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the finals. And notably, her dominance continued throughout the season. 

Qinwen Zheng went on to bag the title at Palermo in the weeks preceding the Paris Olympics. At the Summer Games, she became the first Asian tennis player to win a Gold. Her heroics continued and she bagged the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, besides emerging as the runner-up in the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Off-court, Zheng dominated as well, standing at the 4th spot in the list of top female athletes by wealth, with a whopping $20.6 million fortune. She was also the 5th-seeded player for the 2025 Australian Open. For a player of her stature, facing a defeat in the second round of the Slam down under is definitely surprising.

Despite defeating Zheng, Siegemond could not help but praise the Chinese star’s prowess. Qinwen Zheng is “an amazing player. One of the best players right now,” she said, adding “but I know I can play well and I wanted to show that to myself.” On the other hand, the veteran Stubbs has already shared her prediction for the Australian Open. And no, it’s not Sabalenka that she is rooting for this time.

Rennae Stubbs predicts American star to shine at Australian Open

Rennae Stubbs never shies away from sharing some sensational predictions and this edition of the Australian Open is no different. With the tournament unfolding in full swing and the star players demonstrating some remarkable skills, Stubbs has opened up about who she thinks can clinch the title. And it’s none other than 20-year-old Coco Gauff.

Giving Gauff an edge over two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, Serena Williams‘ former coach said, “I think Coco Gauff will win the Australian Open. Sabalenka has obviously made it clear to everyone that she is the favorite, but Coco Gauff seems to be in just as good shape to me. Continuing further, she lauded the youngster’s skills and said, “She hits her forehand with such confidence, she doesn’t panic when the ball goes in there. She doesn’t miss a ball from the baseline. The fact that she beat Iga twice in a row gives her the mental confidence that she can beat her in a big match.”

With Zheng witnessing a massive upset, it will now be interesting to see if more such results will surprise the tennis community. But one thing is certain: the remainder of the tournament promises to be as stellar as it has been so far – if not more so! Stay tuned as we bring you more stories from Melbourne Park.