US OPEN

September 3, 2024

Emma Navarro

Press Conference

E. NAVARRO/P. Badosa

6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Emma, your thoughts on the win.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, good win today. I think things weren't looking great there in the second set, but just tried to be really tough, stick in there. You know, make her hit one more ball. I felt like if I could scrap out a few longer points, maybe put some pressure on her, you know, I felt like I could come back and maybe close it out in two sets.

Happy with how I was able to do that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You talked about when you were down 5-1, I think 0-15, when you won those four straight points, what was it you sensed about the momentum that you saw a crack that you could take advantage of?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I think I felt like she, even though she was up 5-1, 5-2 after that game, I felt like she wasn't totally confident in her ability to close out that set, so I felt like, you know, if I could push back a little bit and make her think a little bit on her service game, you know, maybe I could sneak my way back in there.

Yeah, I think sometimes you're out in the court, and, yeah, you can kind of picture yourself playing a third set. When I was out there, I didn't picture myself playing a third set. I felt like, yeah, I don't know, I could come back and do it in two.

Q. I think you said a while ago that when you got your wildcard making your WTA debut in Charleston you walked off the court being very overwhelmed by that experience. When was the last time you felt overwhelmed on the court? Because it doesn't seem like it's been a while.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, it's crazy that, you know, I'm able to walk out on Ashe and feel comfortable, because it's definitely not my nature to, you know, want to be in the spotlight and seek, you know, the attention of a lot of people. So it's kind of crazy just, yeah, my comfort level out there.

I think, you know, I was a little bit overwhelmed maybe at Indian Wells playing on center court. But I think it was so important for me to have those experiences at that stage to, you know, be able to come out on a day like today and feel comfortable, you know, on probably the biggest stage in tennis.

Happy with my progression of just feeling more comfortable on big stages.

Q. At Wimbledon after you beat Naomi, you said you were overwhelmed by the thought that you were playing on the same court that Roger and Rafa had played on. Were you thinking about that at all today, about the people who had come before you on Ashe Stadium?

EMMA NAVARRO: No, I wasn't. I was kind of laser-focused, I guess, today. You know, just locked into the task at hand.

But, yeah, now to look back and remember who's played on there before, having Serena here the other day, it's pretty insane that all the legends of our sport have played on that court, you know, just walked up to the same baseline that I'm walking up to to serve, yeah, it's crazy.

I definitely feel, you know, just very grateful to, you know, be taking that stage and be playing the tennis that I'm playing and having another opportunity to do so in a couple days.

Q. You thanked your dad after the match. Tennis is an expensive sport. How much did the family resources help you early on?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I think, you know, I had access to courts from a young age. I was able to practice with other kids. You know, I had coaches that would help me out, for sure. But, you know, I think a lot of kids have access to that, especially in the U.S., and, you know, I think it's cool that our sport is growing and more and more kids do have resources like that.

So, you know, for sure it played a role in allowing me to be where I'm at now, and, yeah, I'm super grateful that I did have those resources as a kid.

Q. Since you could play Zheng next, I wonder if you could explain what you said after the match in Paris and what you meant by that.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah. I don't want to go super into the weeds with it, but I think during that match and, you know, on the practice court and the last few times I've played her, because we have been playing each other since we were juniors, I felt just a little bit disrespected by her. You know, I don't want to, like I said, go too into detail with it.

But yeah, I think she didn't necessarily treat me or the sport with respect. That's why I said what I said after the match. But, yeah, that's it.

Q. Can I ask about your grandmother, who you mentioned earlier in the year, and she's upstate New York, if I recall?

EMMA NAVARRO: She's in Mystic, Connecticut.

Q. Around here. Is she able to come here at all? You sort of told this story of her calling you after all these matches and so I'm curious how you guys are communicating and how you're seeing her throughout this run.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, my aunt and uncle have been driving up here for every match and bringing her with them. I think it was after my second or third round, they drove here, watched my match, drove back home. They got home at, like, 10:00 p.m., I think, and then they rewatched my match (smiling). Yeah, she's insane.

But, yeah, it's awesome to have her support. I saw her after my second-round match in the stands. At my first match she was screaming my name when I walked onto the court, trying to get my attention, and my mom said, Grammy is the only person that can get away with doing that. Yeah, she's awesome and it's been great to have her here.

Q. Any tips?

EMMA NAVARRO: A few tips, yeah. Maybe more mental stuff, yeah. Yeah, few tips.

Q. About the Olympics, I wanted to ask, because I think it was a moment that surprised people because you're known for being so calm and even-keeled on court. Did you surprise yourself when you said what you said at the net and have you had a chance to speak to her in the weeks since then?

EMMA NAVARRO: No, I haven't spoken to her since. And, no, I didn't surprise myself. I felt that way the whole match. Even if I had won, I probably would have said the same thing.

You know, it wasn't a sort of, in-the-moment emotional thing, it was just kind of how I felt. I think it got a lot more attention than I thought it was going to.

Yeah, I think, you know, maybe it's just one person's opinion. Yeah, it wasn't an emotional outburst. It was just kind of matter of factually how I felt.

Q. You touched on it a little bit before, but growing up with your wealthier background compared to your counterparts and opponents, how do you think that's helped you succeed and accomplish your own goals in tennis?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, like I talked about before, I think I did have access to resources as a kid, but, you know, I don't want that to take away from the fact that, you know, I've worked really, really hard to be where I'm at. I've put a ton of hours in, and I started training twice a day and getting in the gym from the time I was eight, nine years old. You know, it's been a ton of hard work and dedication.

Yeah, of course having access to, you know, courts and coaches and other kids to hit with definitely helped me, but there's also a lot of hard work that goes into it.

Q. You gave a shout-out to your dad at the end there. Just wondered if you might share any of the conversations you remember having with him growing up, how he encouraged you.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, he's been my No. 1 fan, my No. 1 supporter my entire life. He taught my siblings and I a lot of really important lessons from the time we were young that definitely pertain to tennis, but also just life.

You know, I think he was definitely, I would say, an advocate for, you know, me trying to make something of tennis, but he always said he didn't want me to be a one-trick pony. So he was an advocate of me working really hard in school. You know, it was always family, school, then tennis.

I think he did a really good job at putting things into perspective. You know, he didn't grow up with a lot of money. It was him and seven siblings, and my grandfather coached football. You know, he grew up as a kid doing odd jobs trying to make a penny, and, you know, he worked really hard to get where he's at. He instilled a lot of the lessons that he's learned along the way into my siblings and I.

Yeah, I think he was a big proponent that, you know, doing hard physical things makes you really tough and teaches you a lot of lessons.

So I think that was part of the reason that he wanted my siblings and I to play sports, tennis specifically. You know, he always taught us that, you know, tennis is really important but it's more about the lessons you're learning along the way, the life lessons that you're learning and you're learning how to be tough and resilient.

Yeah, I think I can't remember what the question was, but... (Laughter.)

Q. Just a while ago it was Tyler, Texas, Midlands, all that, and now you've had this run from slam to slam to slam and here you are. I believe a while ago you might have said you were surprised and not surprised. If you don't mind, could you just go into that again and just briefly where did your granddad coach football, please?

EMMA NAVARRO: He coached at Wabash for a little bit, Williams College, and Princeton.

Yeah, I think I've gone through periods of time where, you know, I'm surprised at where I'm at, but also when I look back and think about, you know, the methodical approach to tennis that I've taken, yeah, just that -- you know, when I look at my physical ability and my mental ability in this sport, it's not surprising. I feel, you know, just more comfortable now with having good results and having success.

Yeah, I think I've had periods of both surprise and not surprise. But, you know, right now I think I'm ready to be in this position and I think that's probably a result of, yeah, just this sort of slow, gradual methodical approach I have taken to tennis and improving myself.

Q. So you mentioned Zheng in terms of your interactions. What about your thoughts on her as a player and the challenge of facing her? And then if you wouldn't mind addressing that with regard to Aryna.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, she's a great player. I think she has a really good serve. I think she has really big groundstrokes. I think she's super powerful, and, you know, covers the court well, puts a lot of pressure on you as a returner and on the serve, as well. I think she'll, yeah, it will be a great challenge.

And Sabalenka, similar. You know, big serve, big groundstrokes. So I probably take those two matches on kind of similarly in terms of being aggressive and pushing back against their powerful games. You know, as always, trying to scrap out some longer points and make them hit one more ball.

Q. But you didn't touch on Sabalenka's experience and being a major champion. What do you think that effect is?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I think it definitely comes into play. You know, she's been on this stage before. She's been in this position before. But I feel like, I don't know, she might feel like she has something to lose, whereas I feel like I have everything to go after. You know, that's something that I work on a lot, trying to put myself in a position to go after something, you know, no, matter the match or the opponent. Yeah.