THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2024

Emma Navarro

Press Conference

E. NAVARRO/D. Shnaider

2-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: How are you feeling out on the court today?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, feeling good. She had my number the past few weeks, so knew what I had to do today. It was just a matter of can I execute or not, and I was able to for a good bit of the match.

I think she struggled to close out some games there in the third set, and I capitalized on that nicely. So, yeah, happy to get the win today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When someone does have your number, but they're close matches, how much tweaking is there to your strategy or does that go into your tactics? Is it just do the same thing, but a little better?

EMMA NAVARRO: Not a ton. Different than what I took into the match last week. Just can I execute better. And I think a big thing today was I served better in bigger moments. That definitely helped me out.

Then, yeah, she double-faulted at 4-All break point. That was nice. I kind of let out a sigh of relief there a little bit. But, yeah, really similar strategy today as last week.

Q. Where do you feel like you are in terms of under the radar, on the radar, someone everybody is worried about playing? Do you get any sense of that or think about it? How does it affect how you experience life here from match to match?

EMMA NAVARRO: I don't really know, to be honest. It's not something I really think about. But maybe with more results, you are less under the radar and more a player other players think about. Yeah, I'm not really sure where I stand.

Q. How would you describe the matches you've had with Coco and your thoughts on her game as we speak today?

EMMA NAVARRO: I mean, she's a really great player, obviously. I think she's super athletic. Probably the most athletic player on tour in my opinion. And she does it all really well. She'll obviously pose a huge challenge.

I think when I played her at the beginning of the year, I wasn't necessarily ready for that challenge. We practiced a couple of times this year. They've gone differently than the match went at the beginning of the year.

I know I have the level inside of me that can beat a player like her. It's maybe just a matter of doing it on a bigger stage.

Q. You obviously have a rapport with her. We've seen different relationships pro and con here at the tournament so far. There was an episode yesterday with Taylor Fritz, for example, and Harriet Dart and Katie Boulter did not have the warmest relationship. Which do you prefer when you face somebody, to have a good relationship or not a close one?

EMMA NAVARRO: I like to have a good relationship. I think tennis in its more original form is a game of good sportsmanship and of camaraderie. I think one of the things I love about sport is that it brings a lot of different people together.

So when I have a good relationship with my opponent, I think it just creates a really cool atmosphere where, obviously, we want to beat each other, but we're out there fighting for the same thing and doing what we love, and it's positive. We're putting just positive energy out into the world instead of negative energy.

I think, yeah, that's able to happen more readily when two players have a good relationship.

Q. Do you know what the scouting report is on you? What would you say about you as a tennis player if you were coming up against you?

EMMA NAVARRO: I don't know if the scouting report has changed or if it's changing maybe. But I feel like I'm evolving into a player that doesn't have any huge weaknesses.

So I guess people can think what they want about different parts of my game, but I know that I'm improving myself into someone who you can try to come at me in whatever different ways, but I have an answer for it.

Obviously that's a work in progress, but that's the goal.

Q. Over the past year or so there's been a race for the Olympic spots on the American women's team. Can you talk about how that motivated you throughout this year and how, now you've made the team, that pressure might be off a bit slightly?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, the Olympics was something that I really wanted to make happen, but I tried not to think about it too much. Just don't put too much emphasis on it. Yeah, don't put too much pressure on myself.

It was in the back of my mind, but tried not to think about it too much. So I would say not too much has changed about my mindset.

Q. What are you learning about yourself and your ability to handle the biggest of moments?

EMMA NAVARRO: That I can, and just trusting myself and trusting my team and trusting the work I put in to be able to handle those big moments.

Then just the more you put yourself in those moments, you learn little cues, mental or physical cues, that can help you. I think, yeah, that just comes with experience and being tuned in with how I respond to certain cues.