Remember when Mirra Andreeva channeled the legendary LeBron James’ mental fortitude after her impressive Indian Wells victory last month, emphasizing, “He was saying that even if you don’t play your 100%, or even if you don’t feel like you’re there 100% physically, I’m going to choose to be 100% mentally?” Well, another rising star on the WTA tour, Emma Navarro, has also embraced this LeBron-inspired mindset. However, Navarro’s ambition goes beyond mere inspiration; she’s setting her sights even higher.

Charleston’s own Emma Navarro secured her 2nd consecutive R16 appearance at the Credit One Charleston Open, defeating fellow American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday. Navarro delivered a solid performance, landing 66 percent of her 1st serves and winning 65 percent of those points. She also claimed 12 game points and 45 service points overall. As she advanced to the next round, she took a moment to express her admiration for NBA superstar LeBron James, something she has done before.

On the same day as Navarro’s match, the WTA IG page posted a video with the caption, “Alright @nba we’ll meet you on the court! 🎾🤝🏀” where players were asked which basketball star would they want to coach in tennis. The clip featured several WTA stars, including Emma Navarro, Madison Keys, Belinda Bencic, and Amanda Anisimova.

When it was Navarro’s turn, she didn’t hesitate, as she named none other than LeBron James as her dream mentee. With excitement, she quoted, “Give me LeBron James. I think I would coach him and then we would enter some mixed doubles tournament. And with me at the baseline, LeBron at the net, it’s game over.” 

Remember last year when WTA 5th seed Emma Navarro struck a pose with LeBron James during the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics? Well, she even took to her social media to share the iconic moment, captioning it with a legendary quote from James himself: “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this is my life.”

And now, as Navarro cruised through her first-round match, she received a special courtside blessing from her grandma, making her victory even more meaningful.

Emma Navarro’s joyful energy soars as her “grammy” Jill Navarro boosts her Charleston run

The clay-court season is in full swing in Charleston, a city that holds a special place in Navarro’s heart. Often calling it her favorite city in the world, the American ace has deep ties here: she attended Ashley Hall and made her WTA debut in 2019 as an 18-year-old wildcard. 

Unlike many players in the tour, she gets the rare opportunity to compete in her hometown. And during her R32 match at the Charleston Open, her biggest supporter, Grandma Jill Navarro, was spotted cheering from the stands. And right after defeating her fellow American, the 23-year-old shared her heartfelt thoughts on having such a special presence backing her on home soil.

Speaking to the post-match interview, Navarro said, “There’s Grammy! I get to meet her in person. She’s so beautiful. Look at her, Grammy’s here watching you in person. I always say I want to be my grandmother growing up…Maybe, besides my mom, she is the most caring woman I’ve ever met. She’s 92 but she always has something to bring to the table, which I think is so cool about her.” Not only that, she also revealed that her grandmother “hasn’t missed a match, and she really hasn’t. Even when I was in Australia, she would be up at 4 a.m. watching me play.”

Charleston is one of Emma Navarro’s favorite tournaments, and with her Grandma watching courtside, she won’t need to stay up late this time. However, can Navarro finally break past the R16 by defeating Ashlyn Krueger and reaching the QF this time, though?