Virginia alum Emma Navarro won her first WTA-level title on Saturday, defeating Elise Mertens 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the final of the Hobart International in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Navarro entered the tournament, a tune-up for the first Grand Slam of 2024, the Australian Open, ranked 31st in the world.
The win improves her record this year to 8-1.
Her lone loss was in the semifinals in Auckland a week ago.
“I don’t know if I could put words to the emotions, but it’s been a lot of years in the making,” Navarro said. “My coach and I have been together for eight years, I think. From where we started to now, it’s really crazy to think about.”
Navarro will be the #27 seed in the Australian Open next week.
Her appearance in the Slam event will be her main-draw debut Down Under.
Navarro was the 2021 NCAA singles champion at Virginia.
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Chris Graham
