Zheng Qinwen’s Paris Olympics success down to tiger parenting, says disciplinarian father
- Zheng made history earlier this week as she claimed China’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s tennis
The father of Zheng Qinwen, Chinese tennis’ new queen, said he instilled the art of competition in his daughter from day one.
Zheng made history earlier this week, claiming China’s first Olympic singles gold medal ever in women’s tennis.
And her father, Zheng Jianping, said he wanted her to be the best at everything she attempted right from birth.
“On the first day she was crawling on the ground, I had already instructed her, that she should crawl faster than others,” he told a local television station. “One needs to be critical to his children.
“Since childhood, we have been instilling in her a certain kind of spirit, and that is to do this thing [play tennis]. You must do it to the pinnacle of human achievement since tennis is the strong suit of Europeans and Americans, not Asians.”
Zheng’s coach Chen Hongming said he had felt sorry for the Olympic champion, because of her father’s parenting style, which included banning snacks and fizzy drinks, and a strict diet of chicken and broccoli.
