Emma Navarro has been enjoying her share of the limelight in an impressive season that has propelled her into a maiden grand slam semi-final at the US Open.
Navarro defeated the reigning champion Coco Gauff before muscling her way past former world number two Paula Badosa to book her spot in the last four at Flushing Meadows.
The 23-year-old is calm and collected on the court, showing little emotion even in the fiercest of contests.
That’s why it came as a surprise to hear her remarks describing Qinwen Zheng as ‘cut-throat’ after their clash at the Olympics last month.
Despite the headlines that followed their contest, Zheng went on to stun the world and claim China’s first-ever tennis gold medal in a run that included a shock triumph over world number one Iga Swiatek.
Has Emma Navarro spoken to Qinwen Zheng since their clash at the Olympics?
There was a possibility that Emma Navarro and Zheng could face off in the semi-final of the US Open on Thursday but the red-hot favorite Aryna Sabalenka made light work of the Chinese star to pencil a meeting with the 23-year-old American.
However, this was unbeknownst to the journalists who gathered in Navarro’s press conference and put forward the questions relating to the comments she had made about Zheng at the Olympics.
“I haven’t spoken to her since,” Navarro responded. “And, no, I didn’t surprise myself.
“I had felt that way the whole match and even if I had won I probably would have said the same thing. It wasn’t an in-the-moment emotional thing, it was just how I felt and it got a lot more attention than I thought it was going to.
“I think maybe it’s just one person’s opinion but it wasn’t an emotional outburst it was just a matter of fact how I felt.”
Navarro looks ahead to maiden grand slam semi-final at US Open
Navarro’s impressive run at Flushing Meadows is a fitting reflection of the fruitful campaign she has enjoyed over the course of 2024.
She won her first tour-level title in Hobart at the start of the year and it has been a steady rise through the rankings that now sees her in strong contention to compete at the prestigious WTA Finals in November.
Navarro has quietly gone about her business in New York, but finds her work cut out once again when she faces Sabalenka in the semi-final on Thursday.
However, the 23-year-old will relish the opportunity to nudge in front in their head-to-head, having downed the Belarusian in Indian Wells earlier this year.
Regardless of the result, Navarro has proven to the world that she belongs on this stage and in contention in the latter stages of grand slam tournaments.
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