'Might be listening from the hotel': Emma Navarro wary of giving away tactics ahead of Jessica Pegula clash

American Emma Navarro, currently seeded number  5, continues to dominate the Bad Homburg Open.

The world No. 10 raced into her third consecutive quarterfinal at the event with a confident 6-4, 6-4 win over former world number  1 Naomi Osaka in Tuesday's second round.

Navarro needed just 1 hour and 27 minutes to seal the victory, denying Osaka her first Top 10 win since last year’s US Open, where Osaka defeated Jelena Ostapenko.

The world No. 10 showed poise under pressure, outlasting Osaka in a match defined by key momentum swings and clutch play from Navarro. In the final match of the day, she won eight straight points, including a break at love, to go up 5-4 in the first set, then calmly served it out to gain control.

Osaka had a major chance early in the second, leading 2-1 and holding three break points at 0-40 on Navarro’s serve. But Navarro saved all three, including the third with a blistering forehand rally winner, to stay level. She later broke for 5-4 and sealed the match when an Osaka return found the net.

"I think I played a lot of good tennis," Navarro reflected on court. "So did she, she made it really tough on me. Definitely there’s some things to work on too, so I’ll be looking forward to improving for next round.".

Navarro’s record at Bad Homburg is now a striking 8-2. She reached the semifinals in both of her previous appearances, falling only to Katerina Siniakova in 2023 and Diana Shnaider in 2024, both eventual champions. Therefore, her current form suggests she may go even deeper this year.

Standing in her way for a third straight semifinal run is close friend and American compatriot Jessica Pegula, who is the number 1 seed at this event. Pegula leads their head-to-head 1-0, having beaten Navarro in straight sets on the hard courts of Miami last year.

"[Pegula] might be listening from the hotel, so I can’t give away too much," Navarro said. "I have to keep my cards close to my chest.

"Jess is awesome, she’s been a really great role model for me coming up. We’ve shared a lot of great experiences on the court and off court. ... She brings a great energy to the tour, she’s very chill, very relaxed, and very smart as well. So I have a lot to learn from her."

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Tournament: Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt

Round: Quarterfinal

In a post match interview, Navarro joked by saying, "[Pegula] might be listening from the hotel, so I can’t give away too much.".

She continued and said: "Jess is awesome—she’s been a really great role model for me coming up. We’ve shared a lot of great experiences on and off the court. She brings a great energy to the tour; she’s very chill, very relaxed, and very smart as well. So I have a lot to learn from her.".

With her strong record in Bad Homburg Navarro looks poised to take the next step. She is set to play this Thursday (June 26), and with Wimbledon just around the corner, the American is finding form at just the right time on a favoured surface.