With Indian Wells having only just finished, the gruelling tennis calendar waits for no one.
As such, there is little time to revel in successes, whether that be those who claimed a title or others who simply enjoyed big wins. The Miami Open has already begun.
Emma Navarro was one such example of the latter, who defied all the odds to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in just the Round of 16.
Later losing to finalist Maria Sakkari, it marked a fine run from the 22-year-old, who is now gaining praise for one key tweak she has made
What the ESPN pundits said about Emma Navarro
Speaking on Racquet’s Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, the host was joined by fellow ESPN pundit Andrea Petkovic once again as they sought to comb through the many narratives that unfolded at Indian Wells.
This podcast comes nearly a month after they outlined two big problems Alexander Zverev was facing.
However, that Navarro win was by far one of the most significant in the California desert, as it blew open the race for the title, which Iga Swiatek inevitably won.
That did not stop Petkovic from noting: ‘This girl [Emma Navarro] can really play and now she’s gotten so fit, she’s lost 5-6 pounds of body weight… and it always has to be said when we talk about bodies here this a lot different than when we talk about bodies in general.’
Stubbs agreed: ‘She was never overweight, she was never out of shape, but comparing her to what she used to look like which was always a good athlete, now she looks… woah.’
And whilst their chat focused on the physique, Petkovic was keen to ensure that this was a purely technical analysis: ‘When we talk about bodies in tennis we talk about it as a tool, so it’s not like bodies in general and we’re body shaming, its a tool.
‘We saw it with Aryna Sabalenka before she won the Australian Open for the first time, she too lost 4-5 pounds of body fat and got a bit lighter, it takes off weight. I had to do the same when I got issues with my knees.’
Can Emma Navarro repeat her success at the Miami Open?
Entering the Miami Open as the 20th seed, she is still yet to find out who her opponent will be when she enters the competition in the Round of 16.
According to the draw though, she is set to face the winner of today’s match between Storm Hunter and Martina Trevisan.
And whilst that might seem favourable, she will also be quietly confident of overcoming Jasmine Paolini, despite her shock success in Dubai last month.
So, without facing anyone outstanding she could find herself in the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event.
This is a huge opportunity for Navarro to capitalise on this new hype generated around her.
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