Emma Navarro’s maiden Grand Slam semifinal will be at the U.S. Open against Aryna Sabalenka, who’s aiming for her second major title this year and third overall.
Navarro, an American seeded 13th, staged a remarkable comeback to clinch the last six games of her quarterfinal against Paula Badosa, securing a 6-2, 7-5 victory at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, following her upset win over defending champion Coco Gauff.
“Sometimes on court, you might imagine playing a third set. But when I was out there, I didn’t picture a third set,” despite trailing 5-1 in the second, Navarro said. “I felt like… I could turn it around and finish in two.”
And she did just that.
No such drama unfolded in No. 2 Sabalenka’s 6-1, 6-2 win against No. 7 Zheng Qinwen, the gold medallist at the Paris Olympics last month, in a rematch of Sabalenka’s Australian Open final triumph.
With Roger Federer watching from the stands, making his first U.S. Open appearance since retiring, Sabalenka showcased her trademark power to reach the New York semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. In 2023, she finished runner-up to Gauff.
Sabalenka said she saw Federer in the crowd and figured he was there to watch Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov in the match that followed hers.
“But still, I was like, OK, I have to play my best tennis so he enjoys it. I have to show my skills, you know, slice skills, come to the net and all that stuff,” Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus who’s known more for her power, said with a laugh.
She is trying to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to win the hard-court major titles at the Australian Open and U.S. Open. Sabalenka defeated Zheng in January for a second consecutive title at Melbourne Park.
“I just think the next time I play against her maybe I should hold a rally better and play a little bit more relaxed,” Zheng said. “Because today obviously I entered into the match with a lot of nerves.”
