After beating Coco Gauff at Wimbledon, Emma Navarro could be the next US tennis star
The US already boasts a promising roster of young tennis stars but there is a new name on the scene.
Emma Navarro is quickly establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with on the senior tour, with the 23-year-old reaching the quarterfinals at this year’s Wimbledon.
As if to underline her credentials, Navarro beat reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff in straight sets – 6-4 6-3 – in the fourth round on Sunday to continue her best run at a grand slam.
“I don’t have a ton of words but just really grateful to be out here on Center Court at a tournament with so much history and tradition, that so many legends have played on before me,” Navarro said during her post-match interview after beating Gauff.
“It’s a real honor. I can’t wait to play again.”
Navarro’s form at this year’s Wimbledon follows what has already been an impressive season for the youngster.
The American reached the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year, before progressing to the fourth round at the French Open.
According to the WTA, she has won 33 tour-level matches in 2024, more than twice as many as she won last year, while $1,074,546 of her $1,847,241 in career prize money has been won in 2024 alone.
She claimed her first WTA title at the Hobart International in January and has risen from 149th in the world at the start of last season to her current position as world No. 17,
“I think that mindset has definitely helped me just not to look at a day like today as any different than any other match,” she said, per WTA, explaining her rise after reaching the quarterfinals.
“I think just being able to look at individual matches for what they are and not make them anything greater than that.”
While her rise through the ranks has been rapid, it perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Navarro enjoyed a successful college career at Virginia, becoming the 2021 NCAA champion in her freshman year – a result which then qualified her for the US Open main draw, where she lost in the first round.
She decided to turn her full attention to professional tennis in 2022, finishing her college career with a record of 51-3 in singles matches.
Source: CNN Sports
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