THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 3, 2025

Emma Navarro

Press Conference

E. NAVARRO/V. Kudermetova

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Nice win this afternoon. Sum up the match today.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I thought it was good. Played well when I needed to and made her have to hit a lot of tough shots. Served well at times. I felt like pushed back against her serve well and was pretty strong from the baseline. So, yeah, I'm happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you sort of talk us through your growth on grass, getting used to playing on grass because from the outside it looks like it happened pretty quickly. Given that you were quarterfinals here last year, how did that happen? What is it about your game do you think works on this, and did you expect that to happen?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I think grass is a lot about movement and footwork and stability and timing. Yeah, those are all things that I put a lot of emphasis on year-round really. I think they definitely help me when I get onto a grass court.

I feel like I kind of enjoy using the grass to my advantage a little bit and hitting some slices and mixing up spins and different speeds and kind of controlling the tempo of points.

Yeah, coming into grass I didn't know that that sort of thing would work to my advantage as much as it has, but it has. Yeah, I'm just kind of running with that.

Q. Is it different returning a serve on grass than it is on other courts? Are there things that you do or tips that players get generally from coaches?

EMMA NAVARRO: I would say not necessarily with targets or like returns kind of stay the same. But in terms of getting ready to return a big serve is a little bit differently.

I like to take serves a little bit closer to the baseline on grass and just try to be really strong and stable and use the ground to my advantage on grass against big serves.

Q. After your matches, they're put on YouTube, a few minute highlights. Do you watch those? Do you think they give an accurate impression of the match?

EMMA NAVARRO: No, I don't watch those. I have before. Probably not. I think maybe a highlight reel is never sort of an accurate representation. To pack in, whatever, an hour and a half, hour-long tennis match into a few minutes is probably not the best representation. I'm not sure, but yeah, I normally don't watch those.

Q. Do you watch sort of longer clips that are put together by your team?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, kind of depends. Sometimes I will and sometimes I won't, just depending on where I'm at in my head and what I feel like I want to improve going forwards or what I can take from the last match. So yeah, kind of depends.

Q. What's your explanation on all the upsets we've been seeing? Is it the grass? The heat?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I'm not sure really. I feel like the grass is, I don't know, nothing wrong with the grass. Yeah, it was hot for a couple of days, but I think a lot of us are equipped to handle it, for sure.

This time of year it's getting towards the second half of the season, and for a lot of players it's a lot of tournaments in a row, and it's a pretty long stint in Europe. Even if you go home for a couple of weeks, you kind of feel like you've been playing a lot.

Wimbledon is sort of the end of a long few months in Europe. So maybe that has something to do with it. I'm not sure, but yeah, can't really tell you.

Q. What are your thoughts about the meaning of the 4th of July to you, and what message might you have for your fellow American players and fans?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I think I'm incredibly proud to come from the U.S. and to play under the American flag. I think it's an honor and it's a pleasure. I got to represent the U.S. in the Olympics last year. That was a sort of pride that, you know, you don't really get at other times. Playing with the American flag on my chest was something incredibly special. Yeah, kind of still gives me chills to think about.

But I feel honored to be an American and play for the U.S. and represent U.S. tennis. So I think it's a privilege year-round that we get to do it, and then especially this time of year.

Try to celebrate a little bit. Not too much because I have to play the next day. But yeah, I think it's a great holiday.

Q. What is the camaraderie like among the American players?

EMMA NAVARRO: I think it's gotten really strong. I think we've all bonded a lot over the past -- well, I haven't been on tour for that long, but a couple of years, I guess I would say.

I'm always cheering on my fellow Americans. I think they're doing the same for me. Even the guys too. So I think it's a really cool sort of atmosphere that we have with each other. We're all always rooting for each other's success.

I think it's really cool to have that.

Q. On the upset topic, how did you sort of hear about them? Do you pay close attention to what's going on in the tournament when you're in the tournament? I think Madison was saying everyone is aware that they're happening and if you are a high seed, you're hoping it's not you. Was it entering your head at all? Were you aware of it?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I do follow results pretty closely. Less from the perspective of who am I going to play or who's losing, who's winning, but more just because I'm curious.

Even if I wasn't playing in the tournament, I would be following the results really closely just because I'm a tennis fan. Yeah, I think it's fun to watch and fun to follow results.

Yeah, I've been following, but more just from a tennis fan's perspective.

Q. Were you, like, Wow, this is weird going on? Or in tennis this stuff happens, people lose?

EMMA NAVARRO: It's kind of just tennis. I feel like the level is really high, and there's a lot of very small margins between the very best and people that are ranked a little bit lower.

On any given day, anything can happen. You know, yeah, I think it's just tennis.

Q. People who watch the sport, could they make women's matches towards the end of tournaments best of five and maybe reduce men's best of three earlier and have it equal. I wondered how you would feel about that from an equality standpoint and also I guess just from a fitness, physicality standpoint?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, it's interesting. I think for me, I would probably feel pretty good playing five sets. I think I feel good about my fitness level and endurance level.

I would be curious to see how the tour would hold up playing five sets. Yeah, I think it would be kind of fun. Yeah, I'm not sure.

Q. Do you think it would elevate women's tennis in some ways as well? We saw the French Open final was five and a half hours. Give it that kind of epic contest.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, maybe. Like I said, I would be curious to see how the women would hold up playing for five hours, like those guys. Sinner and Alcaraz, it was an insane display of endurance and, yeah, fitness level. I would be curious to see how the ladies would handle it. But I think it would be kind of fun to see.

Q. Since it's not certain who your next opponent will be, I would like to ask you about each one separately, starting with the defending champion. What would that challenge be for you? What do you remember most maybe about seeing her win it?

EMMA NAVARRO: I don't think I actually watched any of the final last year. I can't remember watching her at all, actually, in her run. So I can't speak on that too much.

I think it would be a huge challenge, for sure. You know, she's confident on this surface, and she knows she has what it takes to go all the way. But from my end I feel like I have a lot of tools and the ability to sort of combat that.

I think it would be a really fun matchup, for sure.

Q. Your thoughts, even though you didn't see the final, on what she accomplished last year?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, it was really impressive. I think winning a Grand Slam, any Grand Slam, is a huge accomplishment. To be able to win seven matches in a row, every one against great players, is incredibly impressive.

Yeah, I think it shows that she has the ability to play really well in this surface especially. Yeah, I think it was a huge accomplishment.

Q. And the other possibility is an American you have faced before. What are your thoughts about that challenge?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, Caroline is a really good player. I think she has a good serve, plays heavy off her forehand and has dexterity on her backhand side too. It would be a fun matchup. Yeah, we'll see what happens.