Emma Navarro says what has improved massively in her game this season after reaching Toronto semi-final

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Emma Navarro defeated American compatriot Taylor Townsend to reach her first career WTA 1000 semi-final.

It’s been a thrilling ride for Emma Navarro this year, with the American consistently clambering up the rankings, and forcing her name into the conversation.

With a healthy crop of American women’s players at the top of the game, with Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Danielle Collins all in the top 10, it’s not been easy for Navarro to break into the elite group.

This year however she won her first WTA title, reached the fourth round of the French Open, eventually going one better by getting to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.

While her Olympics campaign was less sparkling, she lost from match point up to the eventual winner, Qinwen Zheng.

A steady week at the Toronto Open has seen Navarro persevere with the difficult windy conditions, as well as beat the flying Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk before defeating Taylor Townsend to reach the last four.

As Navarro’s superb season continues to gather momentum, she spoke frankly after her match about the progress she’s made so far in 2024.

Emma Navarro outlines exactly what she’s improved on in 2024

Navarro secured the second set in a tight tie-break to dump out Lucky Loser Townsend, whose run in Toronto has seen her rise 19 spots to just outside the WTA top 50.

Speaking in her press conference after the match, a thrilled Navarro was quizzed on her impressive season and was asked where this maiden WTA 1000 semi-final ranked.

“I would say pretty highly,” she said, “not only because the result itself but also just because I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress in just my comfort level of being on these stages and playing bigger matches and going further in tournaments.

“Even just a few months ago I still felt a little bit out of my league I guess, playing in bigger tournaments and making it to later rounds. Now it feels a lot more comfortable and so yes, this result ranks highly but I guess mindset wise just the progress I’ve made.”

The American is yet to drop a set so far in Toronto, and next faces another American forging a formidable run in Amanda Anisimova.

What is the next step for Emma Navarro?

A meteoric rise to the top has caused the whole tennis world to wake up to this smart and powerful ball-striker.

Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou tipped Navarro to win a grand-slam very soon, and he is not the only plaudit.

Former US number one, Tracy Austin praised Navarro’s Wimbledon win over Gauff, highlighting how much work she has put into certain aspects of her game.

At just 23, Navarro is clearly still on the up and has more room to grow and is currently at a career-high of world number 13.

She will have her eye on the US Open, especially after both of last year’s finalists, Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka, were beaten in earlier rounds in Toronto.