Emma Navarro recently weighed in on not getting as much attention from fans and the media as her compatriots Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova. The American said she doesn’t lose sleep over how others perceive her and doesn’t mind her underdog status.
Navarro achieved her career-best singles ranking of No. 8 in September 2024 after reaching the US Open semifinals, her best Grand Slam result so far. She had beaten Gauff in the fourth round and Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals, only to lose to eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka in the last four.
All set to begin her 2026 campaign at the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, Emma Navarro recently spoke to the NZ Herald. When asked about her higher-ranked compatriots like Gauff and Anisimova getting more recognition than her, the 24-year-old said (via Punto de Break):
“It doesn’t bother me at all. If I can stay under the radar, that’s where I’d like to be. I’m not one to seek the spotlight for long, and if people underestimate me as a player, that’s fine. They’re more than welcome to do so, and I’ll just keep doing my thing.”
Navarro will face Great Britain’s Francesca Jones in the Round of 32 of the ASB Classic on Monday, Jan. 5. She expressed her excitement and said she has worked on her game during the off-season.
“I really enjoyed being at home and not feeling like a tennis player for a while, but I’m excited to be competing again. For me, it won’t be that different or new this week in Auckland. I’ll keep pushing, keep improving, and there are a lot of things I’ve been working on that I hope I can put to good use,” she added.
“A Really Smart Tennis Player” – Andy Roddick Reviews Emma Navarro’s 2025 Season
Apart from reaching her maiden Grand Slam semifinal in 2024, Emma Navarro won her first tour title at the Hobart International, a WTA 250 event. Her second title came at the WTA 500 Mérida Open in 2025. However, she finished the season with a 32-25 record as the World No. 15.
Speaking on his “Served with Andy Roddick” podcast, the former player said Navarro is likely to deliver better results than her 2025 season.
“Emma Navaro finished last year seven or eight in the world, made a couple of semis in Slams. So, not the year (2025) that she had the year before,” Roddick said (20:44). “I think second time through the lineup is a big thing. I think expectation matters. When she walks into a tournament, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re the favorite or you’re definitely going to make semis.'”“That takes some getting used to. That’s a different jacket than she was wearing as the disruptor the year before. But gamewise, I think she’s going to be fine. She’s a really smart tennis player, actually got better at injecting pace into the ball this year. So, I think she’ll be fine,” he added.
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