Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
The grass keeps getting greener for Emma Navarro. On a blustery Middle Saturday at the All-England Club, the former Virginia Cavalier stunned defending champion Barbora Krejcikova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, marching into the last-16 of Wimbledon for the second straight year and setting up a Sunday showdown with teenage prodigy Mirra Andreeva.
Krejcikova dictated early, ripping deep returns and twice breaking the American to grab the first set in 35 minutes. Navarro’s first-serve percentage sat at a shaky 53%, and she never sniffed a break point. Then came rain, roof closures, and eventually an overnight suspension with Navarro trailing but already starting to steady her game.
Play resumed Sunday morning with Navarro already sitting on a 2-1 lead in the deciding set. Within minutes, Krejcikova—running on fumes—called the trainer for a quick blood-pressure check and fluids. The break barely dented Navarro’s focus. Even after the Czech clawed back to 3-all, the American cracked a forehand return to steal the break right back, then calmly held twice to close out the upset after 2 hours 16 minutes on Court 1.
First-serve % (Set 1): Navarro 53 | Krejcikova 69
Winners: Navarro 13 | Krejcikova 34
Unforced errors: Navarro 11 | Krejcikova 53
Navarro’s low error count told the story. She absorbed pace, redirected with depth, and chose her moments to attack, winning a majority of her forays forward and pressuring Krejcikova into those 53 miscues.
Jul 3, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Emma Navarro of the United States returns a shot during her match against Veronika Kudermetova on day four at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images / Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
Sunday’s 1/8-final pits Navarro, the tournament’s No. 10 seed and highest-seeded American left, against 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who has yet to drop a set this fortnight after dismissing Hailey Baptiste 6-1, 6-3.
Navarro edged their only prior matchup on grass a year ago, but the 18-year-old Andreeva returns as the tournament’s No. 7 seed, armed with the same razor-sharp angles and self-belief that define Navarro’s own all-court game. One of them will punch a ticket to the quarter-finals.
Navarro’s victory continues a banner season for UVA tennis. A year removed from her breakthrough quarter-final, the Charleston native is again deep into the draw, flying the Wahoo flag while fellow alumna Danielle Collins battles in the opposite section. Her blend of foot speed, slice variety, and fearless net play, hallmarks of her college dominance, is translating seamlessly to the sport’s biggest lawn.
Should she navigate Andreeva, Navarro would likely face top seed Iga Swiatek or No. 23 Clara Tauson on Tuesday. First, though, she’ll look to make Sunday in SW19 feel like another day at the office, an office where the stakes just keep rising.
