Word has gone out. US Open sensation said this about Qinwen Zheng Tennis

Emma Navarro (12th WTA) has emerged as the biggest revelation of the US Open. In the fourth round, she defeated defending champion Coco Gauff (3rd WTA) and in the quarterfinals Paula Badosa (29th WTA), thanks to which she will play in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in her career. Her next opponent will be Aryna Sabalenka (2nd WTA), which is in a way a relief for her.

Emma Navarro and Qinwen Zheng Conflict: “I Just Don't Respect Her”

The second-ranked player defeated Qinwen Zheng (7th WTA) in the quarterfinals, with whom Navarro had faced off during the Olympic tournament in Paris. After the third-round match, both players discussed the net and later revealed the details of the conversation at a press conference..

– I told her that I simply did not respect her as a player. She achieved many things in a ruthless way. Because of that, there is not much camaraderie in the locker room. It is difficult to face someone who you do not really respect. Nevertheless, applause for her. At the end, congratulations are due to her. She was better than me, she deserved to win the match – explained the American.

– Navarro told me that she doesn't understand how it's possible that I have so many fans. It seems that she wasn't happy with my behavior. But if that was the case, she could have told me directly. I would like to know what exactly she meant. I would like to become a better person. Despite everything, I don't feel attacked. I don't see it as hostility on her part, because she lost the match a moment earlier – said the Chinese woman.

Emma Navarro Returns to Argument with Qinwen Zheng: “I Would Say the Same Thing”

That situation came back at the US Open. After her win over Badosa, Navarro was asked about what she had said about Zheng at the time. “I don't want to get into that too much. But I think during that match, in training and in the last few times I met her, I felt a little bit disrespected. Like I said, I don't want to go into too much detail. But yeah, I think she didn't necessarily treat me and the sport with respect. That's why I said what I said after the match, that's all,” she said at a press conference, as quoted by tennisuptodate.com.

The US Open semi-finalist made it clear that her words from a few weeks ago were sincere. “I didn't surprise myself. I had that feeling throughout the match. Even if I had won, I probably would have said the same thing. It wasn't some kind of momentary emotion, it was just how I felt. It got a lot more attention than I thought. I think maybe it was just one person's opinion. It wasn't an outburst of emotion. It was just how I felt,” she said. She added that she hadn't spoken to the Olympic champion since the clash.

Controversy over Zheng's behavior also emerged after her clash with Sabalenka. Internet users drew attention to the rather disrespectful handshake performed by the Chinese player, to which the WTA vice-leader responded with an expressive facial expression.