Emma Navarro is sitting at a career-high ranking of number 13 after a dazzling week so far in Toronto.
The final four at the Toronto Open all have a significant tie to America in one way or another.
With Emma Navarro, Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula all proudly flying the Stars and Stripes, Russian sensation Diana Shnaider previously plied her trade at college in North Carolina.
Shnaider, often donning a blue polka dot bandana, has been in terrific form of late, convincingly defeating Coco Gauff in Toronto just days after securing the silver medal in the doubles with Mirra Andreeva.
The three Americans are also playing some dazzling tennis with Anisimova on an especially superb comeback arc, now 66 places up in the WTA rankings as she breaks back into the top 70.
Navarro defeated another American to reach her first WTA 1000 semi-final, managing to see off Taylor Townsend in two close sets.
With Gauff preparing to defend her US Open crown, American women’s tennis is enjoying a fine period of success and progress.
Emma Navarro shares her thoughts on American tennis
Despite an incredibly underwhelming showing at the Olympics, especially for the female players, the state of US women’s tennis is at a real high.
With five American women currently sat in the top 15, there is renewed hope of another homegrown US Open winner.
Navarro heaped praise on her compatriots in her Toronto press conference: “It’s really cool to be competing alongside fellow Americans,” she said, “I had the opportunity to play in the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this year and the Olympics a couple weeks ago.
“It’s been really cool getting to know them better and for sure seeing their success. It makes it fun to see familiar faces and cheer the Americans on – guys and girls – so yeah it’s really cool to see how well American tennis is doing.”
With Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul securing bronze in the Olympic doubles, with Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek one up in silver, the men’s tennis is also in a relatively good spot.
Who will be the American player to go the furthest at the US Open?
Gauff’s superb performance at Flushing Meadows guided her to her first major singles title, with 2024 seeing her clinch the doubles title at the French Open with experienced partner Katerina Siniakova.
The 20-year-old is widely tipped to go the distance yet again, but with this early hiccup in Toronto, perhaps we should look at some other options, just in case.
Navarro’s consistent and quick improvement has slightly gone under the radar, with American attention on the retiring Danielle Collins, and the star status of Gauff.
With Pegula’s six and Taylor Fritz’s four hiccups in grand slam quarter-finals, history tells us not to put our money on them.
Ben Shelton’s 2023 surge at the US Open was exciting and energizing, but with his form dipping and the level being so high, I suspect he will lose a shedload of points in New York next month.
Sebastian Korda may be the man to watch after his title in Washington last week and his calm on-court demeanor as well as his pure power all coming together at the right time.
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