When it comes to tennis, everyone knows Emma Navarro for her smooth game and calm grit. She first turned heads in 2024, climbing fast up the WTA rankings. That year, she stormed into the US Open semifinals, a breakout that catapulted her to No. 8 in the world. But last season told a different story. Navarro now steps into 2026 ranked No. 15, while her fellow Americans sit higher on the charts.

During a chat with the NZ Herald, the American opened up about the thought of her colleagues shining in the spotlight. Like Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova, two players who are in the top 5 of the WTA rankings and the talk of the town. Does it bother Navarro that she’s not in the forefront going into this season?

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” Navarro confessed. “If I can stay under the radar, that’s where I’d like to be. I’m not one to seek the spotlight for long, and if people underestimate me as a player, that’s fine. They’re more than welcome to do so, and I’ll just keep doing my thing.”

The top-ranked Americans have raised the bar. Coco Gauff continues her hot streak, with two Grand Slam titles (the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open). Amanda Anisimova has become the story of the tour. Her 2025 campaign turned heads with finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Though she fell short of the trophies, her fight and fire pushed her to new heights.

Anisimova backed that up with three titles, including Beijing and Doha. Now she sits at a career-best No. 4. Navarro’s 2025, however, didn’t quite hit the same note. The 24-year-old managed only one win combined at the Brisbane and Adelaide Internationals. Still, she pushed through the early setbacks and showed her trademark resilience.

At the Australian Open, she brought the crowd to its feet. Quarterfinals in Melbourne. Four straight three-set thrillers. Every win was sealed with tight scores, 6-4 or 7-5. Her run included huge upsets over Ons Jabeur and Daria Kasatkina before eventually falling to defending Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek in the quarters, 6-1, 6-2. Emma Navarro later got her revenge in style at the China Open.

The Middle East stretch tested her again, though one bright moment stood out. Her season caught fire at the Merida Open. Navarro was unstoppable, sweeping past Petra Martic, Zeynep Sonmez, Elina Avanesyan, and Emiliana Arango, all in straight sets. Then came the perfect finale: a blistering 6-0, 6-0 win in the championship match.

But her rhythm didn’t last. Early exits crept in across the next few tournaments. Her year ended quietly at the Wuhan Open with a first-round loss to Shuai Zhang. The spark of Merida faded too soon.

Still, being out of the spotlight doesn’t faze her, but surely Navarro wants more in 2026. And former US Open champion Andy Roddick thinks he knows why the young American lost her momentum last season.

Andy Roddick calls out Emma Navarro’s setback in 2025

The ex-pro had plenty to say about Navarro’s journey on his Served podcast, and the former world No. 1 sees both challenge and promise ahead for the young American. He believes Emma felt the heat of expectations in 2025 after a breakout 2024 season, but insists the 24-year-old is “smart” enough to bounce back.

“Emma Navarro finished 2024 inside the top 10, she was at seven or eight in the world and made a couple of semis at Slams. So not the year that she had the year before. I think second time through the lineup is a big thing,” he said.

That first big leap came in 2024 when Emma burst onto the WTA scene. She captured her maiden title in Hobart, powered into her first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open, and cracked the top 10 for the first time. Heading into 2025 as world No. 8, everything seemed lined up for another big jump.

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Instead, consistency went missing. Emma Navarro struggled to string together wins through much of the season, falling out of the top 10 by June and ultimately finishing 2025 ranked No. 15. According to Roddick, it’s the classic growing pain of a player no longer flying under the radar:

“I think expectation matters. When she walks into a tournament, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re the favorite,’ or ‘You’re definitely going to make semis.’ That takes some getting used to. That’s a different jacket than she was wearing as the disruptor the year before. But game‑wise, I think she’s going to be fine. She’s a really smart tennis player and actually got better at injecting pace into the ball this year. So, I think she’ll be fine.”

Now, Emma Navarro starts fresh in 2026 at the ASB Classic in Auckland, a tournament that brings back memories of her 2024 semifinal run that ended against Gauff. She’s back with a newfound fire. Will this time be different? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!