"Justice for Emma Navarro's accusations";"Sore loser" - Fans annoyed by Zheng Qinwen's 'rude' handshake with Aryna Sabalenka after US Open QF loss
Zheng Qinwen's frosty handshake with Aryna Sabalenka after their quarterfinal clash at the 2024 US Open has annoyed tennis fans. Several of them argued that Zheng's conduct lends credence to Emma Navarro's controversial claims about the Chinese's "disrespectful" behavior.
After stirring controversy by denouncing Zheng's "cut-throat" behavior at the Paris Olympics, Navarro doubled down on her complaints about the Chinese's conduct following her win over Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals of the New York Major.
"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," Navarro said.
Emma Navarro's comments were still fresh in everyone's minds when Zheng Qinwen took the court against Aryna Sabalenka just a few hours later. In a rematch of this year's Australian Open final, the World No. 2 dominated the clash to claim a 6-1, 6-2 victory and advance to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the fourth year in a row.
Appearing frustrated over her crushing loss, Zheng offered Sabalenka a brief and seemingly cold handshake, refraining from making eye contact with the Belarusian.
Aryna Sabalenka's bemused reaction also sparked widespread discourse about the cold exchange on social media.
Given that Zheng Qinwen has come under fire for her frosty handshakes previously as well, fans were quick to label her a "sore loser."
"Are we even surprised? Zheng always gives a cold/bad handshake when she loses a match. She's known for being a sore loser," one fan posted.
"I like Zheng but she is always super salty when she loses," another fan chimed in.
"Poor sportsmanship from Zheng, especially someone who just won the gold medal at the Olympics," said yet another.
Although Navarro initially faced backlash for her comments, several fans asserted that Zheng's "rude" behavior had vindicated the American's claims.
"When I tell you Navarro has some truth behind what she said coz what was that from Zheng," one fan posted.
"Justice for Emma Navarro's extremely vague accusations!" another fan wrote.
"Maybe we owe Emma Navarro an apology cause that was so disappointing to watch. So rude too," a fan remarked.
"This is a little sample of why Emma said what she said. Zheng is apparently a bit of a poor sport, which is unfortunate really," said another.
Others, meanwhile, hilariously poked fun at Aryna Sabalenka's "side-eye" after Zheng's cold handshake.
"That side-eye Saba just gave her after the handshake lmaoo," one fan commented.
"The way Sabalenka tried to contain her smirk at QWeen’s cold handshake lol," another fan chimed in.
Aryna Sabalenka to face Emma Navarro in US Open SF after win over Zheng Qinwen
With a place in the 2024 US Open final at stake, Aryna Sabalenka will battle it out against Emma Navarro in the semifinals following her win over Zheng Qinwen. The American ousted Paula Badosa from the Major with a 6-2, 7-5 victory to book her place against the World No. 2.
The blockbuster semifinal meeting will mark the duo's third tour-level encounter, with their head-to-head record standing level at 1-1. While Sabalenka claimed a 6-2, 6-3 victory in their most recent encounter at the 2024 French Open, Navarro defeated the Belarusian 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in their only hardcourt match at the Indian Wells Open earlier this year.
The results of Iga Swiatek's clash with Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova's battle against Beatriz Haddad Maia will determine the second semifinal matchup at New York Major, with the winner facing Aryna Sabalenka or Emma Navarro in the final.