Navarro to shine brightly in Paris

Emma Navarro, on pace to become the next super-duper star on the WTA Tour, has enjoyed success on tennis courts, regardless of the court’s location or regardless of its surface.

 

But a perusal of Navarro’s curriculum vitae seems to indicate that Navarro’s star seems to shine the brightest in Paris, known as the City of Light.

 

Navarro served notice of her greatness in 2019 when she finished runner-up in the junior French Open singles draw while winning the doubles title on the red clay of Roland Garros. That was the same year she made her main-draw debut at the Charleston Open.

 

Fast-forward to April 2024, when Navarro finished second in a WTA 125 event in Paris.

 

If that didn’t grab the attention of the tennis world, what unfolded the next month certainly did. She reached the Round of 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time, with a performance to remember at Roland Garros. She dropped a decision to Aryna Sabalenka, but her consolation prize was moving into the WTA top 20, going from World No. 24 to No. 17.

 

After the match, Navarro was asked about a return trip to Roland Garros, the venue for the 2024 Olympic tennis matches, as Paris is the host city for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, which begins July 26.

 

“I would love to come back for the Olympics,” Navarro told reporters from around the globe. “But there are a lot of Americans doing really well, so we will have to see what their plans are.

 

“It would be a huge deal for me,” said Navarro, a former NCAA singles champ who celebrated her 23rd birthday on May 18 in – you guessed it – Paris.

 

“Just to play for my country with USA on the back of my shirt; to play the sport I love for my country ... I take a lot of pride in that.”

 

Less than a month later, Navarro’s dream became reality. But it wasn’t a dream that got Navarro a return trip to Roland Garros. It was the result of endless hours of hard work, belief in herself, and, of course, talent.

 

Navarro was named to the U.S. Olympic team earlier this month when Madison Keys passed on a chance to earn some Olympic gold.

 

As a result, Navarro will be one of the four faces on the Mount Rushmore of American women’s tennis when the United States goes up against the best the world has to offer.

 

Navarro, along with World No. 2 Coco Gauff, and No.5 Jessica Pegula, and Miami Open winner Danielle Collins, will lead the American contingent heading to the City of Light.

 

Those four players have been mainstays at the Credit One Charleston Open. But that quartet isn’t the only group of players who are alumnae of the green courts of Daniel Island and are searching for gold on the red clay.

 

Other 2024 Charleston Open participants who plan to compete in Paris include Desirae Krawczyk of the U.S., Maria Sakkari of Greece; Marta Kostyuk, Elina Svitolina, Dayana Yastremska, Anhelina Kalinina, and twins Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine; Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy; and Varvara Gracheva of France.