China's Zheng Qinwen said severe stomach cramps ruined her hopes of completing a shock French Open win against world number one Iga Swiatek on Monday and left her wishing "I can be a man".
Zheng, just 19 and playing in her first Roland Garros, took the first set off the top seed before slipping to a 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 6-2 defeat in their last-16 tie. The world number 74 had needed a medical timeout to strap her injured right leg early in the second set but she revealed that was the least of her concerns.
"It's just girl things," Zheng said in reference to her menstrual pain.
"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.
"I couldn't go against my nature. I wish I can be a man so that I don't have to suffer from this. It's tough."
