Tenth-seeded Emma Navarro battled her way into the third round of the US Open with a decisive victory over Catherine McNally. Despite a rollercoaster year, Navarro remains a potential dark horse in the tournament. For her, every match is another step in a long learning process, not just against her opponent, but against herself.
How Is Emma Navarro Overcoming Her Biggest Hurdle?
Following her 6-2, 6-1 second-round win, Navarro explained that she’s still learning critical lessons on the court. When asked about her dominant performance, she pointed to her mental game.
“I’m tempted to say mental toughness again,” Navarro said. “I think the mental side of the game is so huge. For me, I know that I have the physical ability to be a really good player, and this year has been a learning process.”
She continued, elaborating on her internal struggle. “Learning how to, I guess, manage that belief in myself. I think for basically my whole tennis life, I struggled a lot to believe in myself, and I really didn’t believe in myself. And then at some point last year, okay like, I can be a really good player, and this year has been a learning process of that belief in myself. I think today was definitely a step in the right direction.”
As the scoreline suggests, Navarro controlled the rallies, and McNally committed 33 unforced errors during the match. However, one area Navarro will need to improve is her serve. A first-serve percentage of 63.2% will likely not be enough to advance into the tournament’s later rounds.
Can Navarro Overcome Her Inconsistent 2025 Season?
Over the last few years, Navarro has had a long journey. She went from playing college tennis and winning the NCAA singles championship to transitioning full-time to the WTA Tour and reaching the top 10. Her third appearance was at the US Open women’s singles main draw. After losing in the opening round in her first two appearances, she reached the semifinals in 2024 before losing to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Emma Navarro can do no wrong right now!
She takes the opening set 6-2 against Badosa. pic.twitter.com/K6lnH41sc4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2024
Additionally, Navarro reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2024 and won her first WTA Tour title in Hobart, solidifying her place as one of the best players in the world. The expectations were high coming into the 2025 season, but she has struggled to meet them.
While Navarro is currently ranked eleventh, she is just 25-21 this season. She did win her second WTA title in Mexico this past March, but she hasn’t been as impactful at the Grand Slams this year. She most notably lost in the first round at Roland Garros after making the fourth round in 2024. She arrived at the US Open after suffering upset first-round losses in her previous two tournaments.
Emma Navarro wins the biggest title of her career in Merida! 🏆
She defeats Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango 6-0 6-0 – the first double bagel in a WTA final since Iga Swiatek in Rome 2021. pic.twitter.com/52Vq4JPoX5
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 3, 2025
Her uneven form led to her withdrawal from the US Open mixed doubles event, where she was originally scheduled to play with current men’s world number one Jannik Sinner. Perhaps playing at home during the US Open will help her get back on track.
Looking ahead, Navarro will face a tough test in the third round against two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova. However, Navarro did win their first meeting at Wimbledon in 2025 in three sets, a result she will surely be looking to repeat.
