UVA Tennis Alumna Emma Navarro Has Sights Set on Olympic Gold

Easing up isn’t something Navarro is prone to do. Earlier this month, she knocked off two household names, including No. 2 Coco Gauff, at Wimbledon. Navarro later lost in the quarterfinals, but not without attracting international attention.

“Emma Navarro could be the next U.S. tennis star,” CNN proclaimed.

“There is a new American tennis star on the rise,” USA Today chimed. 

Navarro “plays a rock-solid, aggressive game,” added The New York Times.

As you read this, Navarro is in Paris with fellow Wahoo tennis alumna Danielle Collins, representing the USA and UVA in the Olympics.

“It’s the pinnacle of sport,” Navarro said of the Games. “It is something that is a high honor and there’s an incredible amount of tradition. … I’m excited to wear ‘USA’ across my back.”

So it might come as a surprise that, not long ago, tennis didn’t hold any special magic for her. In fact, after playing for UVA, she figured she’d walk away.

A Father’s Inspiration

“Growing up, I wouldn’t necessarily say I was in love with tennis,” Navarro said. “But I loved the journey of trying to be perfect at it. And sure, it drives me crazy at times, because perfection is probably unattainable. But it’s that possibility that maybe, maybe, I can come out one day and hit my forehand perfectly or hit my backhand perfectly. That’s what keeps me coming back.”

At one point, everyone in her family has played tennis. Her father still plays. Her older brothers did, but later drifted into other interests. Her younger sister, Meggie Navarro, is on the UVA team. 

At least at first, Emma Navarro didn’t exactly have a deep affection for the sport and sometimes resisted it. 

“I guess you could say there were a few years when I felt like, you know, maybe tennis just wasn’t for me,” she said. “I just wanted to be a regular middle school and high school student.”

But, she added, “My dad saw something in me from a young age where he was like, you know, ‘Maybe she could do something with this whole tennis thing.’”

Ben Navarro is a successful businessman, developer and philanthropist who had devoted much of his time and energy to boosting tennis in Charleston, including creating the 16-court, state-of-the-art Live To Play Tennis Club where UVA Today recently chatted with Emma. He also refurbished another tennis facility as a gift to the Lowcountry city the Navarro family calls home.

“He was one of eight, and growing up, they didn’t have much,” Emma said. “He spent his summers mowing lawns and doing odd jobs in the neighborhood to make money.”

That kind of hustle appeals to Emma, and she adopted it.

“Working hard is one of the most important values you can have,” she said. “My dad always taught us that you have to have a purpose in life, you have to be purpose-driven. He always was, and he taught me and my siblings that, and it’s something we all try to live by.”

Taking the Next Steps

In 2020, that drive took Emma Navarro to UVA where, in her first year, she won an NCAA Division I singles championship.

“I loved college, and I loved being part of a team, and the sisterhood and camaraderie I felt at UVA,” she said. “The cool thing about being on a team is you learn to play for something bigger than yourself.”

Her plans at UVA were simple: She’d play four years and then hang up her Yonex racket. But after the NCAA championship, her thoughts shifted. She pondered going pro.

“I just wanted to see how far I could go in this sport,” she said. “And I felt like if I stayed in college, I could be giving up a valuable couple of years where I could be fulfilling my potential on the pro tour. … I felt like the professional tour was calling my name and I was ready to take that leap.”

After two years at UVA, she leapt.

“Leaving UVA was a really tough decision for me and one I didn’t take lightly. It was something I thought about for a long time,” she said.

It was also bittersweet for her UVA coach, Sara O’Leary.

“She was ready to turn pro when she did, and I would never try to hold someone back to stay on the team when I know that the best thing for them is to take the next step in their career,” O’Leary said. “It was tough to hear the news she was leaving, but I was excited for her, too.”

Navarro entered the pro circuit two years ago ranked just inside the world’s top 200. By this year’s Wimbledon, she was No. 19. And after her standout play in that tournament, she’s currently No. 15, with dreams of earning an Olympic medal. She’s beyond thrilled to represent not just her country to the world, but also UVA.

“And when I am playing and I hear, ‘Let’s go, Hoos,’ or ‘Wahoowa,’ it always gives me a boost of energy,” she said. “That’s something I will carry with me for a long time.”