Emma Navarro has been scripting headlines this season. The young talent’s on-court formidability has run a spell on the WTA Tour, the latest of which came at the Canadian Open. The No. 8 seed enjoyed modest success at the hardcourt event by reaching the semifinal. However, tennis fans have reprimanded Navarro. And the reason? Her friendship with compatriot and fans’ apparent enemy no. 1, Danielle Collins.

The 23-year-old is under fire from the tennis community after expressing her admiration for Collins. It is no surprise that the former World No. 7 lost her goodwill within the tennis community after her unsettling act at the Paris Olympics. While contesting against Iga Swiatek in the quadrennial event’s QFs, Collins set the French crowd ablaze after retiring from the match in the final stages due to an injury concern. Later, she took one step further to voice her resentment of the Pole’s behavior during the duo’s ceremonial handshake.

In a post-match presser, she revealed the statement she made to Swiatek saying, “I told Iga she didn’t have to be insincere about my injury… There’s a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma. (They) come out and are one way on camera and another way in the locker room. They can be the way that they are. I can accept that, and I don’t need the fakeness.” This, in turn, prompted the tennis world to be hostile to Collins.

Moreover, with Navarro’s latest candid admission adoring the 30-year-old’s personality, fans are less than pleased. Let’s delve into the details surrounding fans taking shots at the WTA Toronto semifinalist.

Emma Navarro faces backlash for praising Danielle Collins’ on-court demeanor

Emma Navarro is in awe of her fellow University of Virginia alumni, Danielle Collins. In a post-match presser at the Canadian Open, the 23-year-old discussed their differing on-court gameplay. However, she revealed that the 30-year-old’s unapologetic authenticity is the reason behind her admiration of the American star. She further expressed mirroring Collins’s body language.

“We have very different on-court personalities. But, I think she’s taught me a little bit about how to just be yourself. She’s very outgoing and unapologetically herself, which I think is really cool.” Notably, her remarks on Collins weren’t taken kindly by the tennis world.

Witnessing Navarro’s published statement, one tennis fan hilariously mentioned that the “jokes write themselves”. Owing to Collins’ recent behavior at the Olympics, wherein fans have stipulated her attitude as unhealthy for the sport and the nation’s image, another fan took a potshot at the young talent saying that Collins taught Navarro to be a “Karen”. One fan smoked the 23-year-old’s opinion of Collins by taking shots at the latter’s disheartening Olympic campaign saying, “Sure, go ahead, be a mean billionaire! But you will never be an Olympic medalist.”

Just in case the American doesn’t fumble from her path in tennis by putting their faith in the wrong place, another fan felt pity for the former World No. 13 and pleaded to her by saying, “Emma, ​​get yourself together, please”. However, one tennis fan outrightly cut to the chase by rhetorically asking “Who’s surprised?”. This comment drew its roots from the US women’s players’ history of constantly partaking in controversies, subtly implying to be granted preferential treatment. This list already includes Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins and because Navarro is their compatriot, the fan expects similar behavior from her.

In summary, fans’ raging response to Navarro’s comments won’t do much good if she truly idolizes Collins. If that’s the case, then the tennis community is in for a fun ride. They’ll get to spectate whether the young talent can produce significant results following the former World No. 7’s footsteps.