Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
American tennis star blasts 'cutthroat' opponent after loss
Emma Navarro in action during her third round tennis match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Roland Garros. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

American tennis star blasts 'cutthroat' opponent after Olympics loss

American tennis star Emma Navarro didn't hold back when discussing Zheng Qinwen following the duo's third-round matchup on Tuesday at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Qinwen — the seventh-ranked women's player in the world — defeated Navarro 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals in singles play.

"I just told her I didn't respect her as a competitor," Navarro said of the pair's post-match interaction, according to a report by Yahoo Sports. "I think she goes about things in a pretty cutthroat 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."

The 21-year-old Chinese standout made the Australian Open final in January, before falling to Aryna Sabalenka. Navarro has had a breakout 2024 season, making the third round down under, the fourth round at the French Open and the Wimbledon quarterfinals in July.

The American — ranked 15th in the WTA — added "kudos" to Qinwen and said that her opponent "played some good tennis there at the end" and "played better than me, so congrats to her."

According to the report, Qinwen praised Navarro as a "great opponent" and addressed the criticism as well.

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

Qinwen added that she was "glad (Navarro) told (her) that."

"I will not consider it an attack because she lost the match," she said.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball --  in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
MLB

All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe

With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.

Aaron Boone Makes Feelings Clear After Yankees’ Big Trade
MLB

Aaron Boone Makes Feelings Clear After Yankees’ Big Trade

The New York Yankees didn't come into the season with the strongest third base situation, and it only got worse over time. They converted traditional second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the hot corner after getting him at the Trade Deadline last season and installed a timeshare with him, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera there in 2025. However, the latter player broke his ankle on May 12, and the Yankees released the now 37-year-old LeMahieu on July 10. Chisholm was primarily back at second at that point, so this left Peraza and Jorbit Vivas as their only true remaining third basemen. With Peraza hitting .147 and Vivas hitting .164, it was clear what the team's biggest need was. That's why it acquired veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts about the 30-year-old before Friday's bout with the Philadelphia Phillies, via SNY. "I know there's real offensive potential there. I know he's had real offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year or two," he said. "It seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable of. He can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone, he's had some swing-and-misses that have probably hurt him a little bit." "But then he can really defend over there," he continued. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.' He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing." McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and 35 RBI over 100 games this season. He also has a .978 fielding percentage and six errors. Right-handed pitcher Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) will start for the Yankees against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) on Friday.

Chicago White Sox Trade Minor League Infielder To Tampa Bay Rays
MLB

Chicago White Sox Trade Minor League Infielder To Tampa Bay Rays

CHICAGO –– With the MLB trade deadline approaching on Thursday, the White Sox made a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Minor league infielder Tristan Gray is headed to Tampa in exchange for cash considerations, the White Sox announced. It's not a major trade that will move the needle significantly for either organization this season, but perhaps it plays a small role in moves to come. By trading Gray, the White Sox opened a spot on their 40-man roster, which now sits at 39. All of Gray's in-game experience this season has come with the White Sox Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights. Across 282 plate appearances, he slashed .270/.333/.472 with nine home runs, 15 doubles, 44 RBIs, three stolen bases, 24 walks and 67 strikeouts. The White Sox briefly promoted Gray on July 7, when Ryan Noda was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain. But they sent Gray back down to Triple-A the very next day, as a result of activating Luis Robert Jr. from the injured list. Gray didn't appear in any games for the White Sox. In somewhat related news, Noda began a rehab assignment in Triple-A on Thursday. Robert was in the midst of a season-high nine-game hit streak, but he was not in the lineup on Friday due to adductor soreness, per manager Will Venable. The White Sox defeated the Cubs 12-5 on Friday, and continue the Crosstown Classic Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT at Rate Field.

Warriors' Stephen Curry believes NBA players are 'underpaid'
NBA

Warriors' Stephen Curry believes NBA players are 'underpaid'

Are NBA players underpaid? Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry argues yes. The greatest shooter in NBA history said Thursday on Complex’s “360 With Speedy” that because the league’s current CBA doesn’t allow for current players to invest in league and team equity, players are leaving money on the table. “I would say, yes, we are underpaid,” Curry admitted when asked, despite enormous salaries, if the players were getting short-changed, “because you wanna be able to participate in that rise [of equity].” “It’s a partnership with ownership, [and] it’s a partnership with the league,” the 37-year-old stressed, revealing that league salaries do not reflect players’ impact on team valuations. If anyone has the right to begrudge the current CBA on player participation in equity, it’s Curry. When drafted in 2009, the Warriors were worth $315 million. Current valuations in May of 2025 have the team at $9.4 billion, the most in the league. Curry’s been paid handsomely during his time in Golden State, and he doesn’t overlook it. “I know we’re blessed to be in a position where we’re playing basketball for a living, and these are the type of checks that people are earning,” he told Complex. However, when he signed his $62.6 million one-year extension in 2024 that would keep him in a Warriors’ jersey until 2027, many felt that no amount of money the franchise could offer him would represent his worth. Curry had an undeniable impact on the Warriors’ valuation increasing by nearly 3,000%. He’s benefited by being the most salaried player on the roster and plenty of endorsement deals. But is he getting his fair share? Something similar may happen with reigning NBA Finals MVP and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just signed the richest contract in league history with an average annual value of $71.25 million. According to Forbes, the Thunder’s valuation increased 20% from 2023 to 2024 and will likely take another jump after this year’s championship. Curry concedes that player participation in equity isn’t a simple concept and not all markets are created equal: “You got competitive advantage considerations…and want every market to have a fair chance, like I get all that.” He believes, however, that finding a solution is a “mutually beneficial proposition” for players, teams and the league. Even the most expensive people in the world need to find other investors to make owning an NBA team possible. The best example of Curry’s point is the Boston Celtics sale in March. The most-championed franchise in league history was sold to Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion, the largest ever sports franchise sale in North America at the time. Chisholm needed Rob Hale, Bruce Beal Jr., and private equity firm Sixth Street, to afford the purchase. Because team ownership is already a multi-investor operation, the league could potentially come to an agreement with the players by the next CBA negotiation at the end of the decade. If not, the league's best players will continue to simultaneously earn a ridiculous amount of money, and it will not be nearly enough.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!