Interview: Emma Navarro – 1R (lost to [9] Madison Keys 6-4 6-3)

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

First round: [9] Madison Keys (USA) def. Emma Navarro (USA) 6-4 6-3

Question: Emma, so a tough loss today against a very formidable opponent. But you played very well. Can you just give us your thoughts on your performance and just the match overall?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah. It’s always very special to play at home and be able to play in front of a lot of people that I see on a daily basis. I feel very honored to be playing for Charleston, and to be able to come out here and hopefully play some good tennis for the fans means a lot to me. Yeah, obviously a very strong opponent today. Felt like I had some chances that I didn’t quite act on. But overall happy with my performance, and congratulations to her for a good match.

Question: Emma, did you just get off to a slow start in the first set or was she doing something you had trouble adjusting to at first?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah. I think she came out playing really aggressively. I was knocked back a little bit at the beginning. I think that, combined with some nerves, kind of set me back a little bit. But, yeah, as I was able to get more comfortable and find my rhythm a little bit more, yeah, I was able to work back into the match a little bit.

Question: How was your performance on clay? Like players are moving now from hard to soft courts. How did you feel out there?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I prefer playing on clay. I like to be more creative and play longer points. I didn’t get as many opportunities to do that today as I would like to. But, yeah, I do prefer playing on clay. So I’m happy to be back on clay.

Question: You mentioned nerves at the beginning of the match. What do you think those were about? Was it seeing people you know in the stands? Was it the opponent? What contributed to that?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I think a combination of everything. Playing at home, I want to do well, obviously, and I know I have a lot of hometown support, and I want to come out and play well for the people that are rooting for me. So, yeah, just dealing with that and obviously a really great opponent. So, yeah, a combination of everything, I think.

Question: Do you know Madison at all? And do you have memories from maybe even the 2017 US Open final or other matches watching, seeing her on TV?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, I’ve watched her a bit in the past few years, and, yeah, it’s cool to play someone who I’ve watched when they were at this level and I wasn’t. So, yeah, to be able to play against her was cool for me. Definitely a learning experience. But, yeah, for sure, she’s a great opponent.

Question: Starting back from your slow start, what are some things you can take away from today’s match?

EMMA NAVARRO: I think imposing myself sooner is something I would like to get better at. Yeah, just being able to be aggressive, even if I’m not feeling my best at a specific moment. I would say, yeah, that’s the main thing.

Question: Emma, where do you kind of see yourself right now in your career as far as I think you’ve had some good big event experiences the last few weeks. How do you kind of take stock of where you are and where you’d like to go, any goals?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah. I feel like I’m on a great path right now, and I feel happy with where I’m going with my tennis. Definitely have some more experiences to get in. Just looking forward to playing a lot more matches on these stages especially. But, yeah, I’m happy with where I’m headed.

Question: Can you just speak a little bit about just the immense talent that you see in the WTA Tour for American tennis?

EMMA NAVARRO: Yeah, for sure. I think it’s super cool to see a lot of Americans playing so well and having great results, and to be able to play against obviously a super talented American is cool for American tennis. And, yeah, I think it’s great that the Americans are doing so well, for sure.