Emma Navarro has had to work for her first two victories at the Credit One Charleston Open. She beat a highly talented Hailey Baptiste, 6-4, 6-3, in a match that had more twists and turns than the scoreline suggests. She then dropped the opening set in her match against Ashlyn Krueger in the Round of 16, but ultimately found a way to secure a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory. All in all, it’s another solid run for the world No. 8, but it still feels like we haven’t seen her best stuff in 2025. Now comes Amanda Anisimova, who has played some great tennis lately.
When Navarro is at her peak level, this is the type of match she’d win. She has a ton of variety and can defend the court with her athleticism. She also has the ability to slap winners when there’s openings. That can be trouble for a player like Anisimova, who wants to rip winners in extremely short rallies.
But Navarro hasn’t been Navarro in 2025. Her hold percentage is down from 70.0% in 2024 to 61.9% in 2025, meaning she needs to work extra hard in service games—and is constantly under duress in matches. She also has been a touch off when it comes to her ball-striking.
