Emma Navarro follows Chris Evert's footsteps with iconic on-court bracelet tradition at Australian Open

WTA star Emma Navarro has landed a major partnership with retail giant Mejuri, with fans likely to see the American sport bracelets from the brand in the coming days.

Navarro, 23, has progressed to the third round of the 2025 Australian Open, but has taken time out to show off a lucky charm. In doing so, the American will follow in the footsteps of fellow American and tennis icon Chris Evert, who popularized the wearing of tennis bracelets. The 18-time Grand Slam champion, most notably, went on to enter a jewelry collaboration with Monica Rich Kosann.

Navarro's route through the Melbourne tournament hasn't been easy - she's won two three-set matches against Payton Stearns and Xiyu Wang - and matters are set to become still more difficult. Up next, she steps up to play Ons Jabeur, a two-time major finalist, in the third round.

Popular jewelry outlet Mejuri took the opportunity to reveal their tie-in with the American hopeful before the match and declared on Instagram:

"Tennis star Emma Navarro has a lucky charm, and she got it from Mejuri."

Emma Navarro - Instagram

Chris Evert's 2022 jewelry line, alongside Monica Rich Kosann, was a little controversial

French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland-Garros 2024. - Source: Getty

Evert's collection roused some controversy since it was centered around an incident at the US Open in 1978, when Evert's diamond line bracelet flew off her arm during an early round match, causing the game to be paused to search for it. According to Vogue, the event brought into being the term "tennis bracelet":

"Chris Evert made it her style signature to trade out tri-striped sweatbands for delicate strings of diamonds on her wrist, catching the light of the sun when she played on the courts. When her bracelet went flying off her arm at the U.S. Open in 1978 and the match was halted to find it, everyone started referring to it as the “tennis bracelet.”

Some question Evert's timeline, suggesting that the incident in question could not have happened in 1978 and that the "tennis bracelet" already existed, but the point is moot. The stunning collection features five sterling silver bracelets with white sapphires and rock crystal stones and eight 18K yellow and white gold bracelets with white diamonds.

The Evert-Kosann collection ranges from $750 to $36,700. Navarro will need to progress deeper into the later stages of 2025's first major to pick up the kind of check required to afford Evert's top-end offering, but Jabeur, now 30 years old and ranked No. 39 in the world, will provide stubborn opposition.