Navarro takes notes in loss to COCO runner-up Jabeur

Defending NCAA champion Emma Navarro was schooled in the finer points of clay-court tennis by World No. 9 Ons Jabeur in a Credit One Charleston Open second-round match last week.
 
Jabeur, who posted a 6-3, 6-2 victory over the Charleston resident, went on to play in the championship match on Daniel Island while Navarro went back to school – sort of.
 
Navarro is currently a business major and the No. 1 singles player for the University of Virginia. She opted to head back to Charlottesville where she won in No. 1 singles against the top players from North Carolina State and Wake Forest on April 9-10, respectively.
 
Navarro’s week in Charleston produced a victory over Madison Brengle. Brengle won the first set 7-6(4), but Navarro battled back to take the second set, 6-2. Navarro was up 3-0 in the deciding set when Brengle was forced to retire because of an injury. Then she lost to a more-experienced Jabeur. The loss was a two-day event, a match that commenced April 5 but concluded the next day after harsh weather hit Charleston.
 
Navarro was down, but not out after the match that sent her back to Charlottesville. The experience she gained playing against the clay-court expert will become part of her tennis fabric when she makes the permanent transition from college to the professional ranks.
 
“She’s a great player,” Navarro said of Jabeur. “You know, tough slice, dropshots. She’s super crafty. Yeah, she made it tough on me.”
 
“I think she has an impressive all-around game,” Navarro added. “Like I said, she can use the slice really well. She pulls out the dropshot and backs it up really well. She hits it and she’s ready for anything. And then, also, I think she plays a really smart game. She serves really intelligently, and returns, too. So, yeah, I think – I can sort of model my game a little bit after that, and using that variety is something I try to do often.” 
 
Don’t fret for Navarro over her loss this week at Credit One Stadium. She has the talent, the strategy and mettle to be successful.
 
Navarro comes from a good athletic pedigree. She is the daughter of Credit One Charleston Open’s donor Ben Navarro, one of eight children born to Jill and Frank Navarro. Ben played football and wrestled. Frank, who played and coached football at the college level, passed away May 30, 2021, at the age of 91. He was famously
known as the model in Norman Rockwell’s painting, “The Recruit.”
 
Last week is proof that Navarro is serious about winning another NCAA title. She’s already climbing the WTA rankings ladder as well. She has been ranked as high as World No. 194 and entered the Credit One Charleston Open holding down the No. 203 spot.
 
Navarro had a promising background that indicates the future has unlimited potential. She was former World’s No. 1 junior, a junior French Open doubles champ and as well as being a singles runner-up at Roland Garros, ample proof that she can succeed on clay.
 
This past week in Charleston will help her on the WTA Tour.
 
“I think it gives me a bit of confidence going into the rest of my tennis journey, just knowing that I can hang with some of the best players in the world,” said Navarro, a former Ashley Hall star who turns 21 on May 18. “I’m happy with my progress this far, and yeah, hope I can keep improving and see what I can do.” 
 
Navarro also has a major decision on her journey, and that is when to turn pro.
 
“I honestly don’t set too many results-oriented goals for myself,” Navarro added. “I like to really focus on the process, and results will come or they won’t come. And as long as I’m continuing to keep improving every day, I trust that they’ll come at some point. But, yeah, I would love to win another (college) national championship. I think that would be great. And then, yeah, just continuing to see what I can do on the pro tour.”
 
Stay tuned.

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