Qinwen Zheng didn’t exactly handle her defeat against Aryna Sabalenka gracefully, and her reaction at the net made that pretty clear. Instead of acknowledging her opponent’s win, Zheng barely gave Sabalenka the time of day. It left many wondering in the tennis community whether Emma Navarro’s earlier comments about Zheng’s attitude were spot on.
The moment was posted on X by a tennis influencer and fans did not hold back.
https://t.co/UHovMz0jmt pic.twitter.com/CeAeXMMU8u
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 4, 2024
Emma was right
— JRR_Tolkien (@Jor3lBR) September 4, 2024
I wish the women would take a page out of the men’s book. The men have such wonderful interactions at the net.
— Trudy Seivwright MD (@SeivwrightTrudy) September 4, 2024
Sabs truck sticked her. Well done.
— PCL1963 (@PCL1963) September 4, 2024
And people hating on Emma…
— Jacob Wenzel (@JacobWenzel_) September 4, 2024
When Navarro called out Zheng during the Olympics for lacking respect on the court, it stirred up some controversy. But after watching Zheng’s behavior post-match, Navarro’s words are starting to resonate with more people. The tension between these two has been brewing for a while, and now it’s all coming to a head.
In a recent press conference, Navarro was asked about what she said to Zheng after their match in Paris. She didn’t hold back, explaining that she felt disrespected by Zheng not just during that match, but in their previous encounters too.
“I felt just a little bit disrespected by her. You know, I don’t want to, like I said, go too into detail with it.
“But yeah, I think she didn’t necessarily treat me or the sport with respect. That’s why I said what I said after the match. But, yeah, that’s it.”
Navarro made it clear that her comments were not just a spur-of-the-moment reaction but something she had been feeling for a while. She hasn’t spoken to Zheng since and she stands by what she said.
In a post made by The Tennis Letter on X, you can see exactly what she said when asked about what went down behind their interaction at the Olympics.
Emma Navarro was asked about what she said to Qinwen Zheng at the net at the Olympics, ‘I think she didn’t necessarily treat me or the sport with respect’
“Since you could play Zheng next, I wonder if you could explain what you said after the match in Paris and what you meant by… pic.twitter.com/mfqclFzKIE
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 3, 2024
This whole saga hasn’t painted Zheng in the best light. While some might still see Navarro as being a bit harsh, she’s quickly becoming a favorite among Americans. As she is gearing up to face Sabalenka in the semifinals, we can expect a gripping game of tennis. All eyes will be on Navarro to see if she can back up her words with another big win.
