Qinwen Zheng, Emma Navarro battle for WTA Finals spot after feisty summer

Emma Navarro and Qinwen Zheng's war of words headlined the 2024 Paris Olympics. The normally stoic Navarro had a heated exchange with Zheng after her three-set third-round loss to the eventual gold medalist in Paris. Navarro later shared that her outburst stemmed from feeling disrespected by Zheng whom she said "goes about things in a pretty cut-throat way," via tennis.com.

The two players are again battling, in a different way, for the last spot in November's WTA Finals event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The WTA Finals features the top eight singles and doubles teams. This event is considered the unofficial fifth Grand Slam, with 1,500 points awarded to the winner. Only Grand Slams are valued higher, with 2,000 points distributed to the champion.

The Asian swing is crucial for players grabbing the last spots. Zheng has 4,300 points and is currently in seventh place. Navarro has 3,698 points. Zheng is extending her lead with good play in front of the home crowd. She is into the third round at the Wuhan Open with 1,000 ranking points on the line for the tournament champion, while Navarro lost in the Round of 32. It would be a career first for either Navarro or Zheng to qualify for the WTA Finals.  

Defending champion Iga Swiatek and World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka have qualified while waging a significant battle of their own. Despite being in 10th place in the rankings, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova is expected to qualify because of a new rule that allows Grand Slam champions automatic entry. Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, and Jasmine Paolini have not officially qualified but are in the mix to finish third through sixth in the rankings.