American tennis star Jessica Pegula has responded to Emma Navarro’s recent message directed at world number one Jannik Sinner. The exchange has gone viral after Navarro posted a video warning Sinner about his net game ahead of their upcoming US Open mixed doubles partnership. The lighthearted banter comes as both players prepare for the tournament’s new format, which will feature a star-studded lineups.
Emma Navarro’s Playful Warning and Jessica Pegula’s Reaction
In the video posted by the US Open’s official Instagram account, Navarro delivered a tongue-in-cheek assessment of Sinner’s Wimbledon victory. “Hey Jannik, it’s Emma here. Just want to say huge congrats on the Wimbledon title. I watched a lot of your matches. I watched the final, and you look like, you’re playing a lot of good tennis,” Navarro said.
“But I’m just getting a little bit worried because I didn’t see that much net play. You did hit a tweener between your legs at the net at one point, which was kind of cool or whatever, but you missed the overhead. I don’t even know if that really counts,” Navarro added.
She concluded with clear instructions for the Italian champion, stating: “I’m gonna need you to, just put in a good bit of work at the net on the doubles court in the next month or so, and hopefully, you can kind of improve that part of your game, because I’m out here working hard at doubles pretty much every day. So I need you to step up your game a little bit and sort of match my level there. Let’s get to work, buddy.”
Jessica Pegula found Navarro’s message amusing and responded with three laughing emojis in the comments section of the Instagram post.
Jessica Pegula’s comment on Emma Navarro’s message to Jannik Sinner
US Open Mixed Doubles Partnership Details
The partnership between Navarro and Sinner came together in an unexpected way. As Sinner revealed during his pre-Wimbledon press conference, the two had never met or communicated before being paired by tournament organizers. “I just met her yesterday for the first time. We never talked or texted to each other. It’s actually a funny story,” Sinner explained.
Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, will team up with fellow American Tommy Paul for the mixed doubles championship. Pegula brings significant doubles experience to her partnership, having achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world number one in September 2023.
She has won seven WTA doubles titles and reached the final of the 2022 French Open with Coco Gauff. Her mixed doubles experience includes reaching the final of the 2023 US Open with Austin Krajicek.
Tommy Paul, currently ranked 16th in the world, has been working closely with Pegula’s team, as they share the same physiotherapist, Sebastian Cozzarin..
The 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship represents a complete overhaul of the traditional format. The event will take place during Fan Week on August 19-20, featuring 16 teams competing for a $1 million prize, a significant increase from the previous year’s $200,000.
The tournament will be held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, with matches played in a shortened format featuring sets to four games with no-ad scoring.