The best tennis story of the week is attributed to American Emma Navarro. Navarro was a Top Ten player in 2024 but struggled to back up those results last year.
She drew concern in 2026 when she withdrew from her home tournament, the Charleston Open.
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Navarro did not go into details but admitted she was dealing with health struggles and was working with her doctors to figure out the right time to return to the WTA Tour.
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Navarro’s 3 big wins in Strasbourg
She will play in the Strasbourg semifinals against fellow American Ann Li. Her three big wins en route to the semifinals were against Abu Dhabi Open champion Sara Bejlek, Iva Jovic, and Zhang Shuai.
Many were shocked that Navarro defeated Iva Jovic. Jovic has been in form and playing good tennis in 2026 so that win is a huge stepping stone and confidence building win for Emma.
Fans are cheering for Navarro to earn her third career WTA title and her first on clay. There is no better way to prepare for Roland Garros or to silence the social media backlash about her appearance.
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The internet needs to stop
Cruelty on the internet is unfortunately not new, and Navarro is not the only victim. However, she has been the object of incessant photo comparisons and discussions about her appearance change over the past year.
If she is in fact dealing with an autoimmune issue, as some suspect but have no evidence to definitely report, people need to let her alone.
Being a professional athlete is difficult when in top form. Dealing with an illness, regaining wellness, and becoming physical conditioned in the aftermath do not happen overnight.