Chinese tennis star called ‘cutthroat’ by American opponent after Olympics victory

American tennis star Emma Navarro (world No.15) launched a scathing attack on Chinese tennis sensation Qinwen Zheng (world No. 7) after their third-round clash in Olympic tennis at Roland Garros on Tuesday. The heated exchange began at the net following Zheng’s 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 victory and continued into the post-match press conference.

Cutthroat” behavior accusation: Navarro, 23, revealed her harsh words to the media, stating, “I just told her I didn’t respect her as a competitor. I think she goes about things in a pretty cutthroat 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.”
Zheng’s response: Zheng, seemingly unfazed by the criticism, responded, “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.” The 21-year-old then added a subtle jab: “I will not consider it an attack because she lost the match.” Zheng would go on to defeat Germany’s Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinal, followed by an upset victory over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semifinal on Thursday, making her the first Asian-born player to reach a singles final at the Olympics. She faces Croatia’s Donna Vekic on Saturday, vying for the gold medal.

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