MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

July 21, 2025

Emma Navarro

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Emma, welcome to D.C. How are you feeling ahead of the hard-court swing?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, feeling good. Happy to be here. Good couple of days of practice on these courts so far. Enjoying being in the U.S., getting to play in the home country and close to where I went to college. It's been great.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting this tournament going.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Welcome back to these parts. First time playing here professionally at this tournament. Curious about your thoughts on that opportunity to play here as a pro? When you were in Charlottesville a few hours from here, was there anything you did related to this area?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I'm super excited to be here in D.C. I think it's really close to home and close to where I went to school, I guess.

Yeah, it's pretty awesome to fly like an hour and a half or whatever versus, you know, taking an 18- or 24-hour journey to get to the location. We are staying in the same time zone as we have at home, so yeah, it's a lot of fun.

You know, when I was in school, I never came to this tournament or I didn't really spend too much time in D.C. either. Just, yeah, a lot of time in Charlottesville. Yeah, but I like D.C. I think it's a cool city, so I'm happy to be here.

Q. I know your time at UVA was brief, but how did that prepare you for the success you have certainly been accumulating as a pro?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I think I learned a lot in college. I definitely needed a couple more years to sort of mature as a player and as a person and feel 100% committed to playing professional tennis when I did. I definitely wasn't able to do that out of high school.

I think I learned a lot playing on a team and learned a lot from the coaches there and other girls there. I think it was a really great team atmosphere, and I sort of got the experience of, you know, life outside of tennis and kind of being sort of a regular college kid some of the time. I think that set me up well to have a good balance in my life and realize that tennis isn't everything.

Q. You had a great run at the US Open last year. What is it about the North American hard courts that agrees with your game?

EMMA NAVARRO: I'm not sure. I really enjoy this part of the season, I think. Obviously I love playing at home or close to home, and yeah, I do enjoy playing on the hard courts.

After Wimbledon, I have been having fun getting back on the hard court and, you know, sort of getting back in the rhythm of playing hard-court tennis. It's been a lot of fun. We'll see what I can make happen this year.

Q. I saw you signing autographs a little bit when you were running through the site. How much are you recognized now that you have popped into the top 10? How has your life changed a little bit when you're mingling with fans and stuff?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, definitely get recognized more often. I would say at home probably everywhere I go I get recognized by at least somebody, yeah, in Charleston.

In other cities, not as much. Still get recognized, but more from a, I guess, tennis, people in the tennis community. In Charleston it's kind of everybody.

But yeah, it's definitely taken some getting used to. You know, when I go places, I just feel like one of everybody else, so it's weird for me to imagine somebody looking at me as something different than one of everybody else. So I have to, I don't know, keep my wits about me, I guess (smiling).

But yeah, I have gotten used to it a little bit, but at the same time, I will never fully get used to it and I will never feel famous or well known or anything like that.

Q. Just now being announced you're going to be playing alongside Jannik at the US Open, and I'm curious, not just mixed doubles but doubles in general, what benefits have you seen playing doubles throughout your career and how did that maybe carry over to singles? What are the biggest things you focus on when you transition from doubles to singles and back and forth?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I haven't really played doubles in a long time. Maybe last French Open. I don't really remember.

Yeah, I'm kind of right now focusing a lot of my time on singles. I think doubles can be helpful with certain things maybe. Volleys, of course, and returns and groundstrokes a little bit too. But I haven't really put too much emphasis on doubles.

Maybe I'll get to a point in my career where I play a little bit more. But yeah, singles will always be the priority. We'll see what I can do on the doubles court at US Open.

Q. Obviously last year you had a breakthrough season. What's the feeling like trying to replicate that a year later when you have more of a target on your back? Does it feel any different?

EMMA NAVARRO: I think it's a little bit different just because, you know, having a higher ranking, players can feel like they have nothing to lose playing against you. You know, I think a lot of players will go up against top-10, top-20 players and feel like they can swing for the fences, they don't have anything to lose, and we have more to lose than them.

But from my point of view, I'm not trying to replicate anything from last year. It's quite the opposite. I'm always searching for more, searching for new ways that I can get better and improve my game. You know, I'm always looking forward, never looking back.

You know, the results are kind of secondary to that, and I try to take on this journey in the way that fulfills me the most. That is, you know, always pushing for more and working every day to improve myself and improve my game. That's kind of just what I'm focused on.

Q. I wanted to ask your thoughts on having Venus Williams back in competition. It's been a while since she's played anywhere. I don't know. Maybe she was somebody you remember watching back in her heyday. What you think the significance is of having Venus back at an event playing?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I don't know what she's been up to the past few years. I haven't really followed her too much, so I was surprised to see her in the draw this week.

Yeah, she's obviously a legend of the game. I saw a video on Instagram of her hitting out here on the practice courts. That backhand, you can't miss (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, good for her. She's sticking with it at her age, and yeah, we'll see how she plays tomorrow.

Q. Just wanted to ask a question about New York and the Open. Some players talk about it taking time to adjust to that environment. It's very different from a lot of other tournaments, a lot of other Grand Slam tournaments, whether it's the commute, the noise, the airplanes, what the fans are like, all of that. I'm curious, for you, did you kind of take to all of that immediately? Did it take a little bit of adjustment for you to feel comfortable there? What's your take on the US Open?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I like it. I think, you know, Wimbledon, for example, it's proper, it's elegant, it's elevated. People are definitely more quiet and respectful, I guess you could say.

You know, US Open, it feels a bit more casual. Casually rowdy, I guess I would call it. I kind of appreciate that about it.

It makes me feel like not all the focus is on me. People are here for the event and, you know, they're grabbing a beer, eating their hot dog. It's a sporting event for them.

It's not necessarily, you know -- I don't feel like everyone's eyes are fixated on me when I'm playing, which I kind of like. So, yeah, I think it's fun and I kind of can definitely appreciate the sort of New York vibe about it.

Q. I asked Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon about partnering with you, and he was laughing and saying you two had never actually met until the day before that. Curious what you think about getting the chance to play with him sort of falling into your lap? And then also, what it's going to be like with him on court and if you are going to try to talk more, get to know each other more before you're playing a Grand Slam together.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I'm excited to play. I think I'll try to make him hit all the shots, and I'll stand over in the alley and, you know, cover whatever, however many feet that is over in the alley. Yeah, we might get the job done that way (smiling).

But, no, I'm excited. I think he's an incredible player, of course, and I think we'll have fun together. I'm excited.

Q. What was your reaction when you found out you would be playing with him?

EMMA NAVARRO: I fell on the ground, was crying (smiling). Yes, banging my fists on the table. Yeah, huge reaction.

Q. Sounds like you.

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah (smiling).