"More rigged than Aryna Sabalenka's draws" - Fans shocked by Coco Gauff & Zheng Qinwen's 156-unforced error-filled match winning prestigious WTA award

The 2025 WTA Tour had several exciting contests, but interestingly, the Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen semifinal clash at the Italian Open earned the nod for Match of the Year.

It was a marathon battle over three and a half hours between two rising stars of the WTA, in which the American came out on top in the end. Gauff defeated Zheng 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4) in a match that had 156 unforced errors and 20 double faults.

Fans debated whether this contest deserved to win, as some of them had other matches in mind that they thought should have been chosen instead.

"When this match completed….i commented as a joke that this will be named match of the year," one fan commented. "This match deserves a film made about it called 'The Worst Match Ever Played,'" another reacted. "more rigged than sabalenka’s draws," another fan added. "LOL ONE OF THE WORST MATCHES IN TENNIS HISTORY??" one fan asked. "Match of the year was Madi vs Iga AO semi final," one fan wrote. "image of WTA - 156 unforced errors, 20 double faults," one fan added. "One of my favorite matches of the year! I don’t care that it was full of errors. This is a 3+ hour match on clay between 2 supreme athletes pushing each other to the limits and it was quite entertaining to watch," one fan said. "No words Who would want to relive that?" another fan chimed in.

What Coco Gauff said after playing 'Match of the Year' against Zheng Qinwen

While the fans had their opinions about the match, Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen participated in a thrilling contest. Gauff started with the win in the first set through a tiebreaker, but Qinwen equalized the contest by winning the second set. The third set also went into a tiebreaker, which the American star ultimately won. The final set also included a moment where Gauff survived a break point.

After the match, Gauff said Qinwen forced her to play "uncomfortable tennis" with unpredictable shot-making as the contest featured wild swings and intense rallies from both sides.

“It was tough. I just wasn’t playing well,” said Gauff (via Tennis Gazette). “I was frustrated because the last few matches here, I was playing good, and I knew against her I had to bring my top level. I found it in moments, and some I did not, but credit to her. She always forces me to play uncomfortable tennis and get out of my comfort zone. I think it’s my third semi, so just happy to make it through today.”

Let us know your views in the comments regarding this match.

Edited by Krutik Jain