As Wimbledon gets underway, Emma Navarro’s summer of success continues
The grand dame of Charleston tennis returned to the WTA Tour after missing about three months of competition because of undisclosed health issues. She did not compete in the Credit One Charleston Open, Miami, and Madrid.
Navarro, ranked as high as World No. 8 in 2024, returned in time to compete in the Italian Open in early May. Navarro, who turned 25 on May 18, celebrated the big event five days later by winning the Strasbourg Open to claim her third career title –- and first on clay.
Navarro shifted tennis gears from clay court to grass and reached the finals at Nottingham, a prelude to Wimbledon, which begins this week. She has already advanced to the third round and will play Saturday, July 4, at the All-England Club.
Her impressive run placed her at World No. 24.
Her results after the break from tennis have been impressive. She struggled earlier this year, winning only four out of 13 matches. Now, she seemed poised to finish the summer on a positive note. The summer season culminates with the U.S. Open, which is slated for Aug. 30 to Sept. 13.
After claiming victory in Strasbourg, Navarro revealed she was battling hypothyroidism and emotional burnout. She talked about the rigors of playing tennis nonstop on the tour.
"I think it should be normalized,” Navarro said during a press conference in Strasbourg. “The circuit is very tough, long and exhausting. Fans see us on TV for an hour and a half every few days, and that's pretty much all they see of many things we do on and off the court. So yes, there is a lot involved in trying to be at the top level in your sport, and it requires constant care of the body and mind. It takes a toll, without a doubt.
“It's important to normalize it and take a break if necessary,” Navarro added. “I tried to step back from the circuit and didn't follow the results or watch any tennis matches when I wasn't playing. I just wanted to feel like a normal person, a person who wasn't playing tennis, rather than a tennis player. I spent a lot of time with my family and friends at home and, well, yes, I managed to feel quite normal. That was really nice. Yes, it made me appreciate many things when returning to the circuit."
Navarro entered Strasbourg with a World No. 39 ranking. She stunned Victoria Mboko 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 to capture the championship. It was her first title since winning at Merida in February 2025.
“It's kind of been a little bit of a rocky year and a half or so, but I think we put in a lot of really good work," Navarro said during an on-court trophy presentation.
At Nottingham, Marie Bouzkova ended Navarro’s bid for her fourth career title with a 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-2 victory in the championship.
Two days later, Navarro defeated Eva Lys 7-6(6), 6-3 in the first round of Bad Homburg and topped it off with a 2-hour and 4-minute upset win over World No. 3 Iga Swiatek in the Round of 16 on June 24.
Navarro reached the quarterfinals but couldn't get past Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
On July 4, Navarro will contiue her trek to win her first Grand Slam title as she faces the Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk at Wimbledon, an opponent she has defeated in all four of their previous matches.