No one is safe from the clutches of Qinwen Zheng. Only this time, Aryna Sabalenka found the perfect way to humble the Chinese star. Both players showcased a quarterfinal thriller at the US Open on Wednesday with Sabalenka cruising to the semi-final with a 6-1, 6-2 win. The aftermath? Well, let’s just say that Zheng found it appropriate to unleash her intimidating side. That, too, twice in two months now!

After schooling the Chinese star in straight sets, the No. 2 seed had an awkward moment with the former. In a video uploaded on X, Zheng gave the Belarusian giant a cold shoulder during their customary handshake, prompting a cheeky reaction from Sabalenka which was notably visible on her face. While the situation called for a reaction from the 26-year-old, surprisingly, she maintained her composure and proceeded to savor her triumph. But did you know, last time, Zheng’s opponent didn’t take to her antics lightly like Sabalenka did?

We all saw it happen at the Paris Olympics. The eventual gold medalist Zheng ran into troubled waters with Emma Navarro during their third-round encounter. The high-octane contest witnessed strong words from the American star after she succumbed to Zheng, with a score of 6-7, 7-6, 6-1. Drama erupted as Navarro proceeded to unveil her frustration with the 21-year-old’s disrespectful demeanor when they shook hands at the net. After securing a spot in the last four of the US Open, the American iterated her comments towards Zheng.

“I just told her I didn’t respect her as a competitor,” Navarro said after she lost to Zheng at the Olympics. “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.

Further talking about the incident, Navarro said, “I think during that match and on the practice court and the last few times I’ve played her — because we’ve been playing each other since we were juniors — I felt just a little bit disrespected by her. That’s why I said what I said after the match.” Later, the Chinese star came out with her version of the story.

“She told me she doesn’t know how I have a lot of fans. It looks like she’s not happy with my behaviour towards her. If she’s not happy, she can come and tell me. I would like to correct it to become a better player and a better person,” she said.

Ironically, the Belarusian will now lock horns with Navarro for a place in the title decider. Moreover, Sabalenka acknowledged that her rival is a tough nut to crack!

Aryna Sabalenka expects to face resistance from Emma Navarro in the SF

Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka is 1-1 in her head-to-head against Emma Navarro. Naturally, she’ll be eager to gain an edge over the No. 13 seed. But, it’ll be a daunting task and this was admitted by Sabalenka herself. During an on-court interview, the former World No. 1 reserved a few words to address her upcoming encounter with the young talent.

She said, “I mean she’s a great player, the last two was a really difficult match against her. I saw her matches here she’s playing incredible tennis. It’s going to be a great battle and I’m looking forward to face her again and of course, thank you guys for the atmosphere here today.”

The 26-year-old even made a hilarious appeal to the crowd before her upcoming clash. After her match with Zheng was done, the Belarusian appealed to the crowd: “Drinks on me tonight? Drink on me and please give me some support in the next match.”

Notably, the two players have come face-to-face twice till date—both last year at the Indian Wells and Roland Garros—with each winning once. At the Indian Wells, Navarro won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, while Sabalenka won the next one 6-2, 6-3.

In hopes of securing a place in the title decider, both the players will square off at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, September 6. Are you excited?