Following her gold medal triumph in singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Zheng Qinwen is set to compete at the Western & Southern Open. The Chinese star, who recently faced controversy with Emma Navarro after the American labeled her ‘cut-throat’, made a cheeky statement in Cincinnati by sporting an Olympics-inspired hoodie.
The World No. 7 faced Navarro in the third round of the Paris Olympics. They had an intense battle in the first two sets, as both won a set each in a tiebreaker. However, Qinwen dominated the third set to win the match 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-1.
After the match, Navarro opened up about a conversation with Qinwen in which she told her that she did not respect her as a competitor.
“I just told her [Zheng Qinwen] 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,” Navarro said [via Yahoo Sport].
Qinwen defeated Germany’s Angelique Kerber, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, and Croatia’s Donna Vekic on her way to the gold medal finish.
The 21-year-old skipped the Canadian Open, like many other top WTA stars, and is now set to feature in the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati. Upon arriving in the city, Qinwen proudly showcased her new hoodie on her Instagram story.
“Medaling isn’t for everyone,” the hoodie read.
The hoodie also featured her name in a small font alongside a Chinese flag.
“I am very friendly but when I compete, it makes me feel like I can’t make friends” – Zheng Qinwen
Zheng Qinwen at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. (Image: Getty)
Zheng Qinwen at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. (Image: Getty)
Following Emma Navarro’s comments about her, Zheng Qinwen claimed she did not consider it an attack. The Chinese player expressed a willingness to correct her behavior if someone has an issue with it.
The 21-year-old further explained during a press conference that she considers herself to be friendly but acknowledged the challenges of forming close friendships in a competitive environment.
“I always say it’s tough to make friends when you’re always competing with each other in the sport. I am very friendly. But when I compete, it makes me feel like I can’t really make friends. But if I don’t have to compete against another athlete, I really want to share the story and hear how they grow and see this point of view,” Qinwen said.
At the Cincinnati Open, Qinwen will be seeded seventh. Her best finish at the event came last year, when she reached the round of 16.