Charleston’s Emma Navarro claimed a thrilling victory at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on May 23, defeating No. 1 seed Victoria Mboko 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 to win her first clay court title.
The win marked Navarro’s first championship in 15 months on the WTA Tour and her third career title overall, following previous victories in Hobart (2024) and Merida (2025). Remarkably, Navarro has now won all three finals she has reached.
Navarro Defeats a Top-10 Player
This victory was Navarro’s seventh career win over a top-10 opponent, coming against No. 9 Mboko, who had been on a nine-match winning streak in three-set matches before this defeat. Navarro, an Ashley Hall graduate, battled back after a challenging season.
She had dropped out of several tournaments for over two months due to health issues, which caused her ranking to fall from No. 8 to No. 39.
After a rocky start to the season that saw her lose nine of 13 matches, including a streak of four consecutive losses, Navarro found momentum in Strasbourg. Over the course of the week, she defeated Sara Beljek, No. 3 seed Iva Jovic, Shuai Zhang, Ann Li, and finally top-seeded Mboko.
A Strong Start and a Rocky Middle
The first set was dominated by Navarro, who moved the ball efficiently and forced Mboko into 20 unforced errors, compared to just three on her side. Navarro took the set in only 39 minutes.
The second set was a tense back-and-forth battle. Navarro initially led 4-2 after breaking Mboko’s serve, but the Canadian rallied to make it 4-4. Navarro had a championship point at 40-30, but Mboko held serve and broke back to take the set 7-5, leveling the match.
Final Set Brilliance
In the final set, Navarro regained control, playing consistently while Mboko struggled with errors. Navarro secured the set 6-2, completing her fifth consecutive victory and wrapping up the match in two hours and 20 minutes.
Looking Ahead to the French Open
Navarro, who recently turned 25, is expected to rise to No. 25 in the WTA rankings. She will carry her Strasbourg momentum into the French Open, where she is set to face Janice Tjen in the first round on May 25. Reflecting on her victory, Navarro said, “It’s kind of been a little bit of a rocky year and a half or so, but I think we put in a lot of really good work.”
This win signals a major comeback for Navarro, proving she can compete at the highest level even after a challenging season.
