Navarro grinds out quarterfinal finish at Australian Open

It was a case of Emma Navarro digging in Down Under.

 

Navarro, voted the Most Improved Player on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour in 2024, continues to shine in the ’25 season with another impressive effort in the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open.

 

Navarro needed four straight three-set victories and some true grit to advance to the quarterfinals and set up a showdown versus Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who entered the tourney with a World No. 2 ranking.

 

However, Navarro’s three-set magic came to an end; Swiatek blitzed her 6-1, 6-2 in a match that lasted only 89 minutes at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Jan. 22.

 

Navarro became only the second player in the Open Era to make the quarterfinals of the Australian Open with all three-set victories. Jelena Dokic accomplished the feat in 2009.

 

Navarro’s work effort in three-set matches has helped her climb the rankings ladder. Since last year, Navarro has won 41.9 percent of her three-set matches; that’s the highest percentage of any top 10 player.

 

“I have worked really hard on my fitness to be able to go three sets and play over two hours, three hours, whatever it takes,” Navarro told reporters. “I feel like my fitness has definitely paid off here in my first four matches.”

 

The loss ended Navarro’s bid for a first Grand Slam title but continued a run of success that began last year when she won her first WTA title in Hobart, Australia.

 

In Melbourne, Navarro bested Peyton Stearns, Wang Xiyu, Ons Jabeur, and Daria Kasatkina in three-set matches. Kasatkina is no stranger to Charleston tennis fans; she won a Credit One Open championship.

 

But after the string of three-set wins, Navarro dropped a decision to Swiatek in a matchup that was lopsided but included a controversial call. Swiatek, a native of Warsaw, Poland, was awarded a point on a shot following a clear double bounce.

 

It marked only the second time the two stars have faced off. The first showdown was the opposite of the Melbourne matchup in hype, rankings, and attendance.

 

The first clash was an International Tennis Federation 80K event in Charleston, when Swiatek was ranked outside the top 400. Navarro was ranked outside the top 1000. Swiatek posted a 6-2, 6-0 victory in the green-clay tourney.

 

While she is still seeking that elusive second WTA title, Navarro has the talent, motivation, and support to be a contender at any event, on any surface. She is the only player on the WTA Tour to reach the quarterfinals of the last three Grand Slam events: Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and now the Australian Open.

 

Navarro, who turns 24 on May 18, will play at Roland Garros in the French Open, which is slated for May 25 through June 8. She reached the Round of 16 in Paris last spring.

 

Despite the impressive performance in Melbourne, Navarro fell one rung in the latest WTA rankings to World No. 9.

 

Madison Keys, who was the 13th seed, was crowned the Australian Open champ with a victory over Aryna Sabalenka. Keys jumped from World No. 13 into the Top 10 ahead of the Charleston star.

 

Navarro is 5-3 in 2025 and has earned $705,240. Her career totals include a 209-116 record and $4,233,614 in earnings.