Emma Navarro is back on the tour after an extended absence, arriving at the French Open as the champion in Strasbourg. She’s looking to extend her streak with no points to lose, following her return after working on the physical and mental difficulties that previously affected her on-court results.
Navarro’s Absence and Recovery
Navarro stepped away from tennis after losing her opening match at the WTA 125 event in Austin in March. Before this, she had just four wins and nine losses for the season. Citing lingering health issues, the American skipped the Miami Open, the Charleston Open, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and the Madrid Open.
During her press conference in Paris, the 25-year-old said, “I had some health stuff to work through. I haven’t been feeling my best for probably a couple of years now; a year and a half maybe.”
Navarro initially tried to play through it but to no avail. “It kind of got to a point where I felt like I’ve got to just stay home and focus on my health.”
Navarro made an unsuccessful comeback at the Italian Open, losing her first match in straight sets against Elisabetta Cocciaretto. She then secured her first win against Lola Radivojević at the WTA 125 tournament in Paris but lost her second match to compatriot Katie Volynets.
Triumph in Strasbourg
The setbacks didn’t stop Navarro from rediscovering her form. At the Internationaux de Strasbourg, she returned to winning ways, beating Sára Bejlek, Iva Jovic, Zhang Shuai, Ann Li, and Victoria Mboko to lift the trophy.
“I came back to the tour when I felt like I was ready. Now I’m feeling good physically; I feel good mentally. I’m enjoying my time out on the court. And I feel grateful to be back on tour,” she said in Paris.
About her health issues, Navarro conveyed, “It’s a bit of a work in progress still, but I’ve made huge strides when I was home.” The American said that difficulties were exacerbated by playing tennis.
“The tour is tough, and it’ll take it out of you. It’s constant travel and a lot of stress on the body and the mind. You’re always in unfamiliar environments, competing every week. It definitely takes a toll on the body.”
Adjusting to the Demands of the Tour
Navarro’s recovery included some downtime at home in Charleston before resuming her training. “I took a couple of weeks to regroup a little bit, and then I was back on the practice court shortly after. Training and getting physically ready to come back to the tour.”
The former World No. 8 has come back with a fresh perspective and adjusted her schedule to prioritise her physical and mental health.
“Try not to run myself into the ground. There was a year, a couple of years ago, where I played almost 100 matches maybe. Maybe at that time, that was what I needed to