Emma Navarro’s Quest for Perfection, And How It Helps Her Thrive

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday September 3, 2024

New York—What does perfection appear like for Emma Navarro? Her longtime coach, Peter Ayers answered that query on Tuesday in New York.

Ayers, who has labored with Navarro since her junior days, says perfection isn’t a shot or a rating – it’s a mindset.

“One of many first occasions that we sat down collectively, you recognize, going again to when she was 14 years previous, and we alluded to this,” he mentioned. “So you are a perfectionist, most excessive achievers are, and it is a good high quality if it is utilized in a wholesome, sustainable method.

“So I mentioned, this is what I need you to try to be excellent at. I need you to try to be excellent at bouncing again. Stuff’s going to occur. You are competing in tennis, like, there’s going to be adversity each time you play.”

We’ve seen that bounce again mentality from Navarro right here on the US Open. She went on walkabout and dropped the center set to Coco Gauff throughout her fourth-round battle with the defending champ. Relatively than dangle her head she held it excessive and reset to play a stable third set that received her the victory.

Ayers says that adversity is welcome in Crew Navarro. It’s not the tip of the world, it’s a possibility to bounce again.

“When one thing antagonistic occurs, one thing adverse occurs, you get a nasty line name otherwise you break a string or the solar is in your eyes, no matter, enjoy, ‘Oh, that is nice. You understand, this is a chance to bounce again,’” he mentioned.

Navarro has been an ideal pupil for Ayers, embracing the mentality to, properly, perfection.

“I believe it is easy to be robust once you’re taking part in nice tennis and all the things’s working properly, and also you’re hitting all of your pictures properly and issues are simply going easy, however I believe toughness is when you may proceed to go after your pictures and play aggressive tennis when some doubt creeps in and once you’re not 100% certain about simply sure pictures or the way you’re taking part in,” she mentioned.

Navarro, who will play her maiden main semifinal in her eighth main look, had by no means gained a principal draw match on the US Open previous to this 12 months.

She rallied from 5-1 down within the second set on Tuesday to take out Paula Badosa, 6-2, 7-5.

“I believe it is the power to not get discouraged by issues not going your method or by you making errors,” she mentioned. “You understand, you are simply form of simply unfazed by the issues which can be taking place on the market, and simply the power to maintain coming level after level, sport after sport and by no means hitting that restrict of, you recognize, I’ve missed X quantity of this particular shot and I simply cannot take it anymore.

“Simply not letting that occur.”