MELBOURNE, Australia (WCIV) — Local tennis star No. 15 Emma Navarro lost in three sets to Magda Linette in the first round of the Australian Open.
Linette, who came into the contest unseeded from Poland, dispatched the American Navarro 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. It marked Navarro’s earliest exit at the Grand Slam event. Navarro was one of three top-20 seeds to lose on Monday, joining No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova and No. 20 Marta Kostyuk.
Navarro started her Australian Open campaign earnestly, earning two breaks to win the first set against Linette. But from then on, the No. 15 seed struggled mightily.
Magda Linette of Poland reacts during her first round match against Emma Navarro of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Coming into the Australian Open, Navarro started the year with a 2-3 record. It marked a continuation of the uneven play seen in 2025.
Last season, there was success at the Mérida Open but also floundering with early exits at events like the French Open. For Navarro, she is still trying to build off a 2024, where she rocketed up tennis’ rankings.
“Without a doubt, 2025 was full of ups and downs,” said Navarro, as reported by Dzevad Mesic. “It’s often said that the second season as a professional is the hardest, and perhaps that was somewhat the case for me. I have to remind myself not to overlook or underestimate the challenge that all of this entails; it’s really tough, and many of the girls are really good.”
As things stand, Navarro has picked up wins over Emerson Jones and Yulia Putintseva, while losing to Francesca Jones at the ASB Classic to kick off, Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International, and now Linette.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to the report.