Ahead of the start of the Wimbledon main draw, Carlos Alcaraz was practicing with his team on the tournament grounds at the same time as Qinwen Zheng. Cameras captured the Chinese player, 22, heading over to the Spanish star, also 22, with a Labubu.
While most online outlets reported the story as Zheng gifting Alcaraz a Labubu, in fact, Alcaraz had received the toy from a fan at Queen's Club last week. As one redditor noted on r/tennis, “Qinwen’s been walking around with two or three of these on her bags every day, he probably recognized the one he was given from Queen’s to add to her collection. It looks like he showed up to her practice court to give it to her, she’s still practicing and he’s dressed like he’s done.”
The photos show Zhang appearing to decline the Labubu, which led Alcaraz to hold onto it. The plush toy, created in 2015 by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, has seen a viral rise in popularity in recent months.
Alcaraz holds a Labubu doll. Ezra Shaw - Getty Images
He smiles with the toy. Ezra Shaw - Getty ImagesBoth Alcaraz and Zhang are playing on day one of Wimbledon, with Alcaraz up against Fabio Fognini and Zhang taking on Katerina Siniakova. For Zhang, it's a chance for redemption after Siniakova knocked her out of Wimbledon in round one in 2023. “She’s a tough opponent, especially on grass,” Zheng said in a press conference ahead of the tournament. “Her shots are quite flat, so the ball won’t bounce too high on grass. I have lost to her twice, and I will definitely be fully prepared this time.”
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Roekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R18ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframeShe added, “I think I learned a lot from the last few matches … it’s gonna be a big advantage for me compared to the years before because right now my body is more healthy, so I’ve had better preparation with my team.”
Perhaps the Labubu will be good luck.
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