8 for No. 8: Emma Navarro's 8 Greatest College Tennis Achievements at Virginia

Matt Newton | Sep 12, 2024

Former Virginia tennis star Emma Navarro made her debut in the top 10 of the WTA rankings at No. 8. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Fresh off a trip to her maiden Grand Slam semifinal, former Virginia tennis star Emma Navarro made her debut in the top 10 of the WTA rankings at No. 8.

2024 has been a breakthrough year for Navarro, who recorded her deepest runs at each of the four Grand Slams, starting with a third round trip at the Australian Open, then the fourth round at the French Open, the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and most recently, a tremendous run to the semifinals in her home city of New York at the U.S. Open.

Before Navarro turned pro and started her rise as one of the top Americans in the sport, she went the unconventional route and played college tennis at the University of Virginia. While her time as a Cavalier was short, Navarro filled those two years with tremendous accomplishments and the highest levels of success.

In honor of her breaking the top 10 of the WTA as the new world No. 8, let's rewind and take a look at the eight best achievements of Emma Navarro's time playing collegiate tennis at UVA:

8. Two-Time Honda Sport Award Finalist

In her second and final season as a Cavalier, Navarro was named a finalist for the Honda Sport Award for tennis for the second-consecutive year. The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by The Collegiate Women Sports Awards for nearly 50 years and recognizes "the best of the best in collegiate athletics."

7. 2022 ACC Tennis Player of the Year

Navarro was also named the top women's tennis player in the Atlantic Coast Conference as a sophomore, becoming the first Cavalier in program history to win that award. She turned in a 26-2 record in singles and was the top-ranked player in the nation for four weeks during the 2022 season. This was also the second-straight year that Navarro was named to the All-ACC First Team.

6. Non-Collegiate Professional Competitions

In between her first and second year at Virginia, Navarro played in a series of professional tournaments while maintaining her amateur status and collegiate eligibility. Navarro won her first professional singles title at the ITF World Tennis Tour 25K in Orlando and played in the main singles and doubles draws at the U.S. Open, her first taste of the tournament where she would reach her first Grand Slam semifinal three years later.

5. No. 1 Seed in 2022 NCAA Singles Tournament

Navarro followed up her 2021 NCAA Singles title with a strong regular season in 2022, which then earned her the prestigious honor of being the No. 1 overall seed in the 2022 NCAA Women's Singles Tournament. She became the first player in UVA program history to be the top seed in the singles championship, though she ultimately suffered an early third round loss.

4. Finished 2021 Season With Program-Best Winning Percentage

In addition to winning the NCAA Singles title, Navarro finished her true freshman season at Virginia with a 25-1 record in singles matches. Her .961 winning percentage stands as the best single-season winning percentage in program history.

3. Semifinals Run in 2021 NCAA Doubles Championship

While Navarro was making her run to the NCAA Singles Championship, she was also impressively playing an elite level of tennis in the doubles draw. Navarro and her doubles partner Rosie Johanson became the first Cavalier duo in program history to reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Women's Doubles Championship.

2. ITA National Rookie of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year

Naturally, the accolades came pouring in for Navarro in recognition of her exceptional freshman campaign at Virginia. Navarro was named the 2021 ITA National Rookie of the Year and the 2021 ACC Freshman of the Year, becoming the third Cavalier to win the ITA Rookie of the Year award (Natasha Subhash in 2020 and Julia Elbaba in 2013) and the second Cavalier to win ACC Freshman of the Year (Elbaba in 2013).

1. 2021 NCAA Singles Champion

Of course, what other achievement could be No. 1 except this. Navarro avenged her lone singles loss of the season by dominating Miami's Estrela Perez-Somarriba, the reigning national champion, 6-3, 6-1 in a match that lasted just 75 minutes. After losing the first two games of the match, Navarro flipped a switch and lost only two games the rest of the way. Navarro became the second player in UVA history to win the NCAA Women's Singles Championship, joining future Olympic teammate Danielle Collins, who won the singles title in 2014 and 2016.