New York-born Emma Navarro played her way into Thursday’s U.S. Open semifinals — which could set up a rematch with China’s Qinwen Zheng, whom she lambasted at the Paris Olympics.
Zheng still has to get past second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in Tuesday’s quarterfinal.
But if she does, it would set up a juicy showdown.
Emma Navarro advanced to the US Open semifinals on Sept. 3, 2024. Jason Szenes/New Yor Post
Back in July, Zheng beat Navarro 6-7 (7), 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the third round of the singles tournament in Paris.
After the match, Navarro — rather than the usual handshake — grabbed Zheng’s hand, stared her in the face and had a heated exchange.
She told her Chinese foe she “didn’t respect her” as a competitor.
Now, with the 23-year-old Navarro into her first Slam semifinal — in the city of her birth, no less — she said it wasn’t so much an emotional outburst but a feeling pent up over years of what she felt was disrespect.
Qinwen Zheng during her win over Emma Navarro at the Olympics in Paris. REUTERS
“I don’t want to go super into the weeds with it, but I think during that match and on the practice court and the last few times I’ve played her — because we’ve been playing each other since we were juniors — I felt just a little bit disrespected by her,” Navarro said. “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. That’s it.”
The two haven’t talked since, although there’s a chance for them to face off again Thursday in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I haven’t spoken to her since. And, no, I didn’t surprise myself. I felt that way the whole match. Even if I’d won, I probably would’ve said the same thing,” Navarro said. “It wasn’t a sort of, in-the-moment emotional thing. It was just kind of how I felt. I think it got a lot more attention than I thought it was going to. Maybe it’s just one person’s opinion. It wasn’t an emotional outburst. It was just kind of matter-of-factly how I felt.”
Emma Navarro celebrates her US Open win on Sept. 3, 2024. AP
The 13th-seeded Navarro was actually full of praise for Zheng’s play, if not her personality.
“Yeah, she’s a great player,” Navarro said. “I think she has a really good serve. I think she has really big groundstrokes. I think she’s super powerful, and covers the court well, puts a lot of pressure on you as a returner and on the serve as well. I think yeah, it will be a great challenge.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-03 09:41:00
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