Emma Navarro’s best results have not always matched how she felt behind them. After a sharp rise through the WTA rankings, the Charleston native says she spent months competing without feeling fully right physically or mentally.
That is why her decision to skip the Credit One Charleston Open this spring stood out. The tournament is one of her favorites, and it is held in her hometown on Daniel Island, but Navarro said it was the right move for where she was at the time.
A difficult call in Charleston
Speaking from London before Wimbledon, Navarro said leaving Charleston off her schedule was not simple. She described the event as an opportunity to give back to the local tennis community, while also saying the choice should make her look forward to next year even more.
“Skipping Charleston was definitely not an easy decision,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite tournaments of the year, and I see it as an opportunity to give back to the Charleston tennis community.”
The climb that came with pressure
Navarro’s path to the top of the game was fast. After winning an NCAA title as a freshman at Virginia in 2021, she turned professional after her sophomore season in June 2022 and quickly climbed toward the WTA’s elite.
| Milestone | What Happened | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Won the NCAA title as a freshman at Virginia | Became one of the sport’s most closely watched young players |
| June 2022 | Turned professional | Started her rise on the WTA Tour |
| End of 2023 | Reached No. 32 in the rankings | Set up a bigger breakthrough the following season |
| 2024 | Won her first career title, reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals and U.S. Open semifinals | Rose to No. 8 in the world and was named WTA’s most improved player |
By March 2025, Navarro added another title in Mexico, winning the WTA Tour’s Merida Open without dropping a set. The final ended 6-0, 6-0, making her only the fifth player in this century to win a final by that scoreline.
Even that success did not fully solve the larger issue, Navarro said after a recent tournament. She called the situation “a bit convoluted” because she felt proud of winning, but still was not happy with her level of play or how she felt physically and mentally.
Why Wimbledon matters now
That tension helps explain why Wimbledon carries extra weight. Navarro is returning to the same tournament where she reached the quarterfinals last year, and she arrives saying she is finally feeling better again.
For a player who moved from college champion to top-10 contender in a short span, the next step is not just about results. It is also about finding the balance she said had been missing while her ranking and achievements kept climbing.