Former NCAA champion Emma Navarro crowned winner in Hobart, downs top-seed Elise Mertens to win her first WTA title

Emma Navarro, the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Tennis Championships winner, triumphed at the 2024 Hobert International, where she clinched her first WTA title. The American defeated top-seed Elise Mertens 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 to secure the title.

The 22-year-old was playing in her first ever tour event final. Navarro was pitted against an experienced Mertens, who won back-to-back titles in Hobart in 2017 and 2018.

The American eased past the Belgian in the first set, dropping just one game. The two-time champion fought back in the second set to keep her title hopes alive. However, Navarro broke Mertens' serve at a crucial time in the third set and took a 6-5 lead. She converted her second match point to seal the victory.

Emma Navarro is a former collegiate tennis player who played for the University of Virginia. She held the top spot in the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) rankings. The American was named the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) Women's Tennis Freshman of the Year in 2021.

The 22-year-old won the 2021 NCAA championships singles title, due to which she was awarded a wildcard for the 2021 US Open main draw where she made her Grand Slam debut. She left her university in 2022 to pursue a professional tennis career.

Emma Navarro's good start to the season

Emma Navarro at Wimbledon 2023

Emma Navarro has had a good start to the 2024 season, reaching the semifinals of the ASB Classic and winning the Hobart International. The American also reached a career-high ranking of No. 31, compared to No. 149 just a year ago.

Navarro's first match of the season was against teen sensation Linda Fruhvirtova in Auckland. The World No. 31 came back from one set down to defeat the Czech. In the second round, she saw off Elina Avanesyan in straight sets. Navarro defeated seventh-seed Petra Martic in the quarterfinals. She then lost in an all-American battle against Coco Guaff in the semifinals. Gauff went on to lift the title.

Navarro then played at the Hobart International as the second seed. She won the first and second-round matches against Clara Burel and Magdalena Frech to reach the last eight.

In the quarterfinals, she defeated Viktoriya Tomova in a comeback victory after being one set down. She defeated her semifinal opponent, Yue Yuan, to set up a final against Elise Mertens. Navarro outlasted Mertens after a grueling encounter that spanned two hours and 48 minutes.

The American will be making her Australian Open debut as the No. 27 seed. This is the first occasion she heads into a Grand Slam as a seeded player. She will face China's Wang Xiyu in the first round.