Emma Navarro is through to the US Open quarterfinals for the second time in her career after producing a composed 6-4, 6-2 victory over Anna Kalinskaya on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday night.
The American, who reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at Flushing Meadows in 2024, needed just one hour and 21 minutes to dispatch Kalinskaya and keep alive her hopes of going even further in New York this year.
Navarro entered the contest knowing she faced a difficult opponent. Kalinskaya had won both of their previous meetings, but the American overturned that record with a disciplined performance built around patience, consistency and an ability to disrupt her opponent's rhythm.
The opening set remained tightly contested for the first nine games, with both players protecting their serves comfortably. Navarro, however, made the decisive move when the first break-point opportunity arrived in the 10th game.
She converted the chance on Kalinskaya's serve and immediately secured the opening set 6-4.
That breakthrough appeared to give Navarro additional confidence. She carried the momentum into the second set, racing to a 5-1 advantage and putting Kalinskaya under sustained pressure.
The Russian managed to recover one break, but Navarro quickly regained control. She broke again in the eighth game before serving out the match to complete a convincing straight-sets victory.
“I know Anna can catch fire and get on a run, and I wanted to just try to break her rhythm as much as I could, and maybe she didn’t play as consistently as she would like to,” Navarro said after her win. “Just proud of my patience and ability to be putting balls in the court and keep asking her the questions.”
The victory is particularly significant for Navarro after what she described as a difficult year while dealing with health issues. The American said she now feels mentally stronger and more settled on court.
“I’m feeling good mentally, like feeling resilient, feeling calm, feeling strong,” she said. “So I think that’s a huge part of the game, and yeah, certainly can’t be overlooked. When I’m feeling good mentally, I think good things happen for me.”
Numbers tell the story
Navarro's performance was backed by several telling statistics.
Four — The victory secured Navarro's fourth career Grand Slam quarterfinal. She has previously reached the last eight at Wimbledon in 2024, the US Open in 2024 and the Australian Open in 2025.
Nine — Kalinskaya struggled with her serve, committing nine double faults while producing only two aces. Navarro, by comparison, had just one double fault and struck six aces.
24 — Navarro improved to 24-2 in completed Grand Slam matches in which she has won the opening set. Her two defeats in that situation came against Barbora Krejcikova at the 2025 US Open and Magda Linette at the 2026 Australian Open.
32 — Kalinskaya committed 32 unforced errors, more than three times Navarro's total of 10. The Russian hit 17 winners to Navarro's 15, but the American's greater consistency ultimately proved decisive.
40 — Navarro has dropped 40 games on her way to this year's US Open quarterfinals, the highest total among the remaining players at the tournament. It is also the second-highest number of games conceded by a player on the way to a Grand Slam quarterfinal in the Open Era. Her 61 games conceded en route to the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals remain the record.
Pegula awaits in all-American quarterfinal
Navarro's next challenge will be considerably tougher.
She will face No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula in an all-American quarterfinal that guarantees an American woman and an American man will feature in the semifinals of this year's US Open.
Pegula, however, holds a commanding advantage in their rivalry, having won all four of their previous encounters. Their most recent meeting came in the round of 32 in Cincinnati last month.
The quarterfinal will also mark the first all-American women's singles quarterfinal at the US Open since Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus Williams in 2015.
Navarro knows she will need to produce another disciplined display against a player who has consistently had the upper hand in their meetings.
“Jess is really tough,” Navarro said when looking ahead to her next match. “She probably hits the flattest ball on tour, keeps it low, can hit it short and flat or deep and it looks the same. Just a really great ball striker and super consistent from the baseline. I think I’ll have to match that and try to get her out of her rhythm a little bit.
“I have lost to her a few times now, but there’s always that time when you get over the hump and get the win, so hopefully that will be in a couple of days.”
For Navarro, the quarterfinal represents another opportunity to build on the breakthrough she made in New York two years ago. This time, she arrives in the last eight with renewed confidence and a clear belief that she can overcome the obstacles that have stood in her way.
Against Pegula, she will have the chance to turn that belief into another landmark victory on the biggest stage.