Emma Navarro staged a remarkable comeback from a 5-1 deficit in the second set to secure a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Paula Badosa of Spain in the US Open quarterfinals on Tuesday.
With this win, Navarro has reached the semifinals for the first time in her career at a Grand Slam event. She is set to face the winner of the match between No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen from China and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus on Thursday.
In the match against Badosa, Navarro took control early by breaking her opponent’s serve in the first set. Despite falling behind in the second set, Navarro showed great resilience and determination to turn the match around with the support of the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Navarro’s victory over Badosa marks her second consecutive win against a seeded player, following her upset of reigning champion Coco Gauff in the previous round. Reflecting on her performance, Navarro expressed confidence and composure even when facing a significant deficit in the second set.
“After I got it back to 5-2, I kind of had a little bit of an inkling that it might be two sets,” Navarro shared in an interview with ESPN. “I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there. Even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to kind of set the tone for the third set.”
With her eyes set on the US Open title, Navarro is now just two wins away from achieving her dream. Her journey at the tournament represents a significant improvement from her early exits in the past two years.
As Navarro continues her quest for the championship, she leads the pack of American players vying for success at the US Open. The competition also features prominent matches involving US men, including Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.
Looking ahead, the tennis world anticipates an exciting showdown between Jessica Pegula and defending champion Iga Świątek of Poland in the upcoming matches.