Qinwen Zheng has warned her Australian Open opponents not to expect a smiley post-match exchange at the net.

The 22-year-old, who reached the final in Melbourne last year, has drawn criticism from some corners due to her ultra-competitive streak. World No. 8 Emma Navarro exchanged frosty words with Zheng following their Paris Olympics clash last summer.

The American explained: “I told her I didn’t respect her as a competitor. I think she goes about things in a pretty cut-throat way. It makes for a locker room that doesn’t have a lot of camaraderie, so it’s tough to face an opponent like that, who I really don’t respect.

“The last few times I’ve played her, because we have been playing each other since we were juniors, I felt just a little bit disrespected by her.”

Zheng was perfectly friendly to Anca Todoni after defeating her in straight sets on Sunday. But as the tournament wears on and the stakes increase, the Chinese claims her killer instincts will continue to take precendence over the niceties some of her rivals want.

“I always give a handshake to my opponent,” she explained after beating Todoni 7-6 6-1. “I feel that’s basic respect. It doesn’t matter if I win or lose, I will give a handshake. But not always with a smiling face.

“I know myself. I don’t often hug my opponent because I feel that’s unnecessary. I come here just to play a match. If I lose, I will give basic respect and that’s it. That’s why you wouldn’t see me lose a match and then have a happy face towards my opponent. If you did, that would be strange and would mean I didn’t care about that match on that day.”

Zheng, who won gold at last summer’s Olympics in Paris, will now turn her attention towards the second round in Australia, with Navarro’s first-round clash against compatriot Peyton Stearns pencilled in for Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka breezed through to the second round with a dominant win over Sloane Stephens. Mirra Andreeva, Leylah Fernandez, Donna Vekic and Paula Badosa were also among those to clear their first hurdle with relative ease.

But the tournament is already over for British hopeful Sonay Kartal after a 1-6 6-7 defeat to Jessica Bouzas. Fellow Brits Jodie Burrage, Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu are yet to play.