American tennis player Emma Navarro produced a stunning comeback in the second set to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open 2024. Emma Navarro celebrated with a 2-0 (6:2 7:5) win over Paula Badosa (Spain) in a match that lasted 72 minutes.
New York-born Navarro, who knocked out defending champion compatriot Cori Coco Gauff in the previous round, punished the error-prone Spaniard by taking 24 of the last 28 points in the match to eventually move into the top four of the Grand Slam tournament.
Emma Navarro made an early break, then sealed it with a serve win for a 3:0 lead. She relied on her remarkable forehand to fend off the two break points she faced to win the first set in convincing fashion.
Paula Badosa, who competes for Spain but like her opponent today was born in New York, went on a rampage to turn the match around in the second set. She recorded a double break and took a decisive 4:1 lead, then calmly won her serve and pulled away with 5:1. But facing just a game away from equalizing the sets, the Spanish tennis player truly collapsed. She was unable to hold any of her serves and the next six games went to Emma Navarro. She made several impressive attacks and exits at the net before deciding the match with her fifth break of the day.
“I think at Wimbledon I put some thoughts into myself and experienced some emotions that I didn’t need to experience or feel. You know, in a Grand Slam quarterfinal it’s different. So I overcame that and today I came out on the court a lot more confident, I felt a lot more comfortable and yes, I was ready to rock. I think I’ve entered a point in my career where I’m not afraid of anyone or worried about the development of any match”, said Emma Navarro after the match. “After I got back to 2:5, little by little I started to think that I will decide the match in two sets, like nothing. The only thing I set myself as a task was to stay firm and follow my game plan. I even thought that even if I lose the second set, I have to set the tone for the match in the third”, added she.
In the end, the American tennis player finished with an emotional outburst, marking her ranking among the top four of the Grand Slam competition.
“So I’m really happy because my strategy worked! And now I’m in the semifinals of the Open, baby”, finished Emma Navarro.
Emma Navarro played college tennis at Virginia and won the NCAA Singles Championship in 2021, later becoming the first women’s singles NCAA champion to reach the US Open semifinals. She won her first WTA Tour title at the 2024 Hobart International. So far her biggest achievement at the Grand Slam tournaments was the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon 2024.