Emma Navarro told Qinwen Zheng what she thought about her on-court behavior after their match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The two met in the third round of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, after previously winning two matches relatively easily, and both thought they could make it into the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament.
The match reflected that as Navarro won the opening set 9-7 in the tie-break after an hour and seven minutes, and her Chinese opponent responded by winning the second set 7-4 in the tie-break in an hour and 21 minutes, saving a match point in the process.
The third set wasn't as competitive, since Zheng was the much better player and it showed on the court, and ultimately, she won the match 6-7(9), 7-6(4), 6-1 in three hours and 12 minutes to reach the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After playing at the 2024 Palermo Open, the Chinese player extended her winning streak to eight matches, but it wasn't her spectacular comeback that was in the spotlight after the match, as the two had a relatively extended handshake.
It appeared that Navarro wanted to say something to her opponent, but the two were seemingly in good spirits, talking with smiles on their faces. However, after the match, the American revealed what the conversation was about, and it wasn't really pleasant.
According to Navarro, her opponent want about things in 'cut-throat way' even though it wasn't clear what exactly was the issue that she had with her opponent.
"I just 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. But, kudos to her. She played some good tennis there at the end. She played better than me, so congrats to her."
Zheng, who was also asked about the incident, more-less confirmed her opponent's words. However, the Chinese player couldn't understand what exactly she did wrong.
The 21-year-old went on to say that she would be happy if Navarro told her what exactly was there that she didn't like, so she could become a better opponent in the future.
"She told me she doesn't know how I have a lot of fans. It looks like she's not happy with my behavior towards her. If she's not happy about my behavior, she can come and tell me."
"I would like to correct it to become a better player and a better person. I'm glad that she told me that. I will not consider it an attack because she lost the match."
While Navarro will now enjoy the Olympic Games only as a spectator, Zheng's journey will continue in the quarter-finals of the tournament, taking on the former World No. 1, Angelique Kerber, for a spot in the semi-finals.
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