Emma Navarro could face Qinwen Zheng at the 2024 US Open, and she was asked about the possible matchup, as they had a very tense moment at the Olympics in Paris this year.
Navarro and Zheng played against each other at the Paris Olympics, and it was a match that Zheng won. The Chinese player actually went all the way at the Olympic Games, winning the gold medal at the event, but when she beat Navarro, the American had something to say to her.
Navarro wouldn't go into too much detail about what was said after the match, but she mentioned that she told Zheng that she had "no respect." It was an interesting moment because the American isn't known as a player who talks a lot or finds herself in such situations.
Speaking after her most recent win at the US Open over Paula Badosa, which sent her to the semi-final, the American was asked again about that situation. She could play the Chinese player again if Zheng beats Aryna Sabalenka, which is why the question arose.
Once again, Navarro didn't want to delve into the details but admitted that she felt disrespected by Zheng, and it wasn't the first time it had happened either.
"Yeah. I don't want to go super into the weeds with it, but I think during that match and, you know, on the practice court and the last few times l've played her, because we have been playing each other since we were juniors, 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."
There does seem to be some lingering emotions on Navarro's side. Zheng hasn’t been involved in much controversy as a player, but she’s not a stranger to it either. It’s not something that Navarro planned to say, but she said it in the moment because that’s how she felt.
It didn’t come off as an outburst to her, and she would have likely said it even if she had won the match. She simply expressed how she felt, which is understandable.
"No, I haven't spoken to her since. And, no, I didn't surprise myself. I felt that way the whole match. Even if I had won, I probably would have said the same thing."
"You know, 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."
It would be an interesting matchup, especially once the players shake hands again. Zheng wouldn’t only face Navarro but also the crowd in New York, who are unapologetic about backing their player.
They can also get extremely rowdy, which could create an emotionally charged affair. It would be a fascinating rematch, but Sabalenka might have other plans, wanting that semi-final spot for herself.
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