As Navarro emerged to become one of last year’s breakout players on the WTA Tour, the native of Charleston, South Carolina saw plenty of those final sets – and won most of them.
Since 2024, 41.9 per cent of her matches have gone all the way – the highest percentage of any player in the Top 10.
When it was suggested to her by a reporter that she loved going three sets, she replied “I do” with a smile before elaborating.
“I work really hard on my fitness, on my ability to go the distance and stick in there for as long as it takes,” she said.
“I always tell myself that before I go out on the court, ‘Don’t be afraid to stay out there for as long as it takes.’ I’m really not afraid to go two, three hours, whatever it may be. Of course I’d rather win in two.
“I kind of love the grind of three sets.”
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As she gets older, that could change, but for now, Navarro enjoys and thrives in extended contests.
Not so familiar for Navarro is now being the ranking favourite in most of her matches – the hunter rather than the hunted, as the expression goes.
It’s part of the reason players struggle to back up the sort of rise Navarro experienced in 2024.
Yes, Navarro catapulted from outside the Top 100 to about No.30 in 2023, but last year she truly exploded after beating Coco Gauff to make the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and then down her Olympic teammate again at the US Open in the city where she was born.
Handling the newfound pressure that comes with a huge ranking spike can be problematic.
Swiss
