By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday September 3, 2024
New York – What perfection looks like Emma Navarro? Her longtime coach Peter Ayers answered that question Tuesday in New York.
Ayers, who has worked with Navarro since she was young, says excellence isn’t a hit or a ranking — it’s a mindset.
“One of the first times we sat down together, you know, when she was 14 and we alluded to it,” he said. “So you’re a perfectionist, most successful ones are, and it’s a good quality if applied in a healthy and sustainable way.
“So I said, here’s what I want you to try to be perfect. I want you to try to be perfect in the return. Things will happen. You’re competing in tennis, like, there’s going to be adversity every time you play.”
We’ve seen that comeback mentality from Navarro here at the US Open. She cruised and dropped the middle set to Coco Gauff during her fourth-round battle with the defending champion. Instead of hanging her head, she held it high and recovered to play a strong third set that gave her the win.
Ayers says adversity is welcome on Team Navarro. It’s not the end of the world, it’s an opportunity to bounce back.
“When something unfavorable happens, something negative happens, you get a bad call on the line or you break a line or the sun is in your eyes, whatever it is, enjoy yourself: ‘Oh, this is great. You know, this is an opportunity to come back,” he said.
Navarro has been a perfect pupil for Ayers, embracing the mindset of excellence. “I think it’s easy to be tough when you’re playing great tennis and everything’s going well, and you hit all your shots well and things are just going well, but I think toughness is when you can keep going after your shots. and play aggressive tennis when there’s some doubt and you’re not 100 percent sure about just some shots or how you’re playing,” she said.
Navarro, who will be making her first major semifinal in her eighth major appearance, had never won a main draw match at the US Open before this year.
She rallied from 5-1 down in the second set on Tuesday to defeat Paula Badosa, 6-2, 7-5.
“I think it’s the ability to not get discouraged by things not going your way or making mistakes,” she said. “You know, you’re not just upset about the things that are going on out there, and just the ability to go point by point, game by game and never cross that line, you know, I’ve missed X amount of this specific shot and i just can’t take it anymore.
“Just don’t let that happen.”
