The secret mantra that binds the close relationship between siblings isn’t always love; sometimes, it’s a bit of good-natured bullying. Growing up, many have felt overpowered by their elder siblings, and the scenario is no different for the Navarros. But here’s a twist: the usually calm and composed Emma Navarro, known for her poise on the tennis court, had her moments of frustration that she took out on her siblings!
Emma Navarro is on a sensational run on the grass courts this season. After advancing to the Semi-finals at the Bad Homburg Open, the American tennis star is now set to take over Coco Gauff in the round-of-16 clash at Wimbledon. In her grand slam campaign, she ousted the likes of former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka and Diana Shnaider to whom she lost the semi-finals in her last campaign. But besides her skills, what has caught the attention of the tennis community is her calm demeanor which is also acknowledged by Navarro herself.
The 23-year-old Navarro was seen hugging Shnaider after defeating her in the third round. Speaking about the same, she revealed that she likes having a good relationship even with her opponent. “When I have a good relationship with my opponent, I think it just creates a really cool atmosphere where, obviously, we want to beat each other, but we’re out there fighting for the same thing and doing what we love, and it’s positive.” The budding player further acknowledged that her calm attitude was a part of her trait ever since she was a child.
“In this sport, you deal with a lot of emotions,” she said. “It’s high stress at times. So it’s something that obviously I have to deal with, but I would say that calmness, I’ve always had.” However, when quizzed if she had ever lost her calm, the American did not shy away from recalling her childhood memories. “Maybe I was a little bit mean to my siblings sometimes growing up,” she said. “Not really bossy, but I had a lot of energy as a kid I think, and maybe I took it out on my siblings sometimes.“
The tennis player is a sister of three siblings: Meggie, Earl, and Owen. Interestingly, Meggie is following in the footsteps of her sister and has picked up racquets at a young age. The American is now scheduled to play her compatriot, Coco Gauff in the round-of-16, who is all praises for her talent.
‘I always knew…’ When Coco Gauff went all around praises for her opponent Emma Navarro
Coco Gauff has known Emma Navarro since her childhood days. Thanks to her father Corey who made her play in more advanced USTA age brackets in her junior days. Gauff, who has lost just a single match to a fellow American other than Jessica Pegula in the last 12 months, (Madison Keys in the Madrid Open), is all praises for her three-year-older opponent.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Gauff revealed, “Just growing up with her, I always knew she was very talented and knew her game would translate well on tour.” Continuing further, she expressed her happiness of playing against her. “I think she has a very all-court game. Playing her is going to be a tough match. I’m very excited to be able to play against her and then play on the same team as her in the Olympics.”
With the tournament progressing to the next stage, it will be interesting to see if Navarro can outshine the World No.2 player and continue her run in Wimbledon.