Months after Emma Navarro controversy and dismissive remark on tennis friendships, Zheng Qinwen changes her view

Zheng Qinwen has seemingly had a change of heart months after her comments on forging friendships on the tour after the Emma Navarro controversy. The Chinese tennis player didn’t mind the possibility of having friends, according to her latest remarks.

Zheng is competing at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where she is the eighth seed. After a bye in the opening round, the 22-year-old started her campaign against Victoria Azarenka in the next round, beating the two-time champion 6-3, 6-4. She then secured a 6-4, 7-5 win against Lulu Sun on Sunday, March 9.

Ahead of her run at the WTA 1000 event, Zheng Qinwen was asked about searching for potential friendships on the tour. She noted that she was keen to approach a couple of people in the tennis community. According to Titan Sports, she said:

"Actually, there are two people in the tennis community whom I really want to befriend. "

The player refrained from sharing the names, conveying that she had yet to establish a connection.

"But I haven’t taken that step yet. I’ll talk about it once I do."

Zheng’s comments come months after her Paris Olympics controversy with Emma Navarro. The American accused the gold medalist of a “cut-throat” attitude during their heated net exchange, claiming that she creates a tense environment in the locker room.

"I just told her 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," Emma Navarro said at the time.

When asked about her stance on tennis friendships in light of the on-court drama, Zheng Qinwen said at the time:

"My answer is very clear: I prefer to always keep distance with players. Have a lot of competition with me. I am, like, type of sensitive with the heart," she said in a press conference in November 2024.

"If I become friends with someone and I have to compete with them on court, I feel I'm not able 100% focused and fighting" she added. "Once I figured out that, I decided don't try to make a friend on tour because there's so many people outside of tennis world. Why I have to just make friends here?"

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Zheng Qinwen continues her Indian Wells 2025 journey

BNP Paribas Open - Day 3 - Source: Getty

Following her straight-set victories against Victoria Azarenka and Lulu Sun, Zheng Qinwen faces Marta Kostyuk for a spot in the quarterfinals. Kostyuk is defending her last year’s semifinals run at the event.

Meanwhile, Zheng has entered an uncharted territory at the tournament, having not made it past the second round in the past. The World No. 9, who reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal at the 2024 China Open in October and followed the run with a title clash in Wuhan, is chasing her maiden WTA 1000 trophy and a sixth career title overall.