The Truth About Emma Navarro's Controversial WTA Award Win

Tennis fans are wrongly outraged after Emma Navarro won the WTA Most Improved Player Award.

Emma Navarro won the 2024 WTA Most Improved Player Award. / IMAGO / Schreyer

It is WTA Award Week, and the stars of the 2024 WTA Tour are getting recognition for their standout performances. While there has been broad consensus for most player award winners, one selection has infuriated tennis fans.

Emma Navarro won the 2024 WTA Most Improved Player of the Year Award. Her case was morethan solid. She finished as the World No.8 with a singles record of 54-24 with one title.

The 23-year-old also enjoyed three wins over Top 5 players, including over then World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells).

Making her mark 🌟

Emma Navarro is the 2024 Most Improved Player of the Year 🙌 pic.twitter.com/fHJ5fr5EQP

— wta (@WTA) December 11, 2024

However, fans are making it clear on social media they wanted Jasmine Paolini to win Most Improved Player of the Year. Paolini finished as the World No.4 with a singles record of 41-20 with one title.

Both players could have easily won the award, but as fans are pointing out, Paolini did improve more. Navarro rose from 32 to 8 in the rankings, while Paolini went from 30 to 4.

Paolini did share the Doubles Team of the Year with Sara Errani. But that is not enough for outraged fans on social media. The replies under the WTA's announcement video have been brutal.

Emma Navarro's moment in the sun! ☀️

She comes from 5-1 down in the second set to defeat Badosa and reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal! pic.twitter.com/YWfnW0ya2E

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 3, 2024

Fans are impugning the WTA's motives and credibility. They are calling the organization a "joke," a "farce," and "ridiculous," among other more mean-spirited comments.

However, Paolini was not eligible to win the Most Improved Player of the Year because she improved too much. Paolini finished within the top five of the final WTA Rankings, which is why she was not nominated for the award.

The other nominees were Anna Kalinskaya, Danielle Collins, Diana Shnaider, and Marta Kostyuk. Compared to all other eligible players, Navarro clearly had the best case for winning the award.

Also, it is international tennis writers who vote for the player awards, not the WTA. It is a swing and a miss for a lot of tennis fans online this week. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

• Ons Jabeur won two WTA player awards for the second consecutive year.
  

• Iga Swiatek revealed how much money she spent to clear her name in the doping scandal.

• Pay her! Aryna Sabalenka lagged in endorsement deals last year.