WHAT HAPPENED: American Emma Navarro’s storybook run to the US Open semifinals has come to an end. Authoring its final chapter Thursday night was Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, who beat the home favorite, 6-3, 7-6(2).
Still, the Flushing fortnight brought a whole lot of firsts to 23-year-old Navarro. As a first-time seeded player here at No. 13, she competed in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time, where she beat defending champ Coco Gauff. Her subsequent dismissal of Spain’s Paula Badosa earned her a spot in her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. And, even with the loss, Navarro has earned herself another first: Next week she’ll find herself ranked inside the world’s top 10 for the first time.
Coming into New York, Navarro joked with her team that she “wanted to win one match at the US Open.” She crushed that goal.
But it was clear from the outset that the depth of Sabalenka’s experience on this very big stage would pose a different kind of challenge. The Ashe evening clash was Sabalenka’s fourth consecutive US Open semifinal appearance. She has advanced to the finals here twice, losing to Gauff last year. Also relevant: she’s a two-time (and reigning) Australian Open champion.
“I’m just naturally very chill,” Navarro told the press earlier in the week. But she played a ragged first service game, committing three unforced forehand errors and dropping her serve. But then Sabalenka wobbled as well, dropping her serve, too.
With the set score tied, 2-2, the players settled in. But an early pattern emerged. Sabalenka’s raw power—always a challenge—seemed to put the American on her back foot. In response, Navarro popped up defensive shots, which Sabalenka drove into corners and onto lines—sometimes missing wildly, but hitting winners often enough.
Sabalenka’s high-risk approach gave her a 5-2 lead. Navarro held serve, closing out the game with an ace, her first. But with the set on her racquet, Sabalenka grabbed it, 6-3.
The story of the first set was Sabalenka’s winners, 16 to the American’s eight. Interviewed between the sets, Peter Ayers, Navarro’s coach, sounded unworried, but felt that his player could go bigger and bolder—especially on her second serve.
Navarro has proved herself to be something of a comeback queen. In her quarterfinal match against Badosa, the American was down 1-5 in the second set when she stormed back, to take the set, 7-5—and the match in straight sets.
Could the American stage another comeback?
Sabalenka’s topspin forehand speed was a serious obstacle to that goal. She was averaging 78 mph, similar to the speeds clocked among the top men this tournament. At a 2-4 deficit—and having been broken three times in the match—Navarro appeared flustered. But she managed to hold, which raised another question: Would the No. 2 seed crack when serving at 5-4, just four points away from the win, not to mention the finals?
In what was the American’s best game in the match thus far, Navarro’s aggressive play earned her two break points. She needed just one of them.
And so, a tiebreak would decide the second set. Sabalenka double faulted to give her opponent an edge. Navarro made a backhand error to level the score. An 18-ball rally ended in Sabalenka’s favor. And on her first match point, the No. 2 seed took the tiebreak, 7-6(2), winning seven points in a row to clinch victory.
During her on court interview, an elated Sabalenka teased the roaring crowd for their delayed support for her.
“Oh, now you guys cheer for me,” she said, in a laughing acknowledgement of how hard it is to compete against an American in Ashe.
Still, two days ago, she had promised free drinks for their support.
“Margaritas for everyone from Dobel Tequila!” she promised, still laughing.
WHAT IT MEANS: Next up is the winner of the second match in Ashe, where No. 6 seed American Jessica Pegula squares off against the unseeded but dangerous Karolina Muchova from Czechia.
Sabalenka and Pegula have played seven prior matches and Sabalenka has won five of them. But Muchova leads the head-to-head with Sabalenka, 2-1.
“I don’t really care who I play,” Sabalenka said. “I’m ready to face whomever. I just hope I do a little bit better this year.”
MATCH POINT: Although it’s September, Sabalenka is continuing her red-hot summer. In Flushing this fortnight, she has dropped only one set on her way into Saturday’s finals. And she’s bidding to win her second consecutive tournament, after taking the title at the Cincinnati Open—where she beat Pegula in the finals—before arriving in New York.
