To add her first tournament in the WTA 500 category, the American Emma Navarro won the Merida Open Akron, after beating the Colombian Emiliana Arango in the final, for a blunt 6-0 and 6-0, and disputed at the headquarters of the Yucatan Country Club.
The title meant the first in the WTA 500 category for Emma Navarro, who in Mérida headed a main draw for the first time in his career. Until the tournament week, Navarro had not reached a final since his triumph in Hobart 2024 over a year ago. But the American was strengthening her game, reaching the quarterfinals or better in the last three majors.
Navarro is one of the new faces of professional tennis that promises to remain in the top ten for a long time.
With the added points (500), Navarro amounted this week to the 8th site of the WTA classification and for the championship he won with a prize of 164 thousand dollars., While Arango climbed to site 80, adding 325 points and 101 thousand dollars in prizes.
During the tournament week, the thousands of fans who went to the Akron stadium enjoyed good tennis, supported their spoiled and wrapped other players as if they were local.
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Emma Navarro shines in the Merida Open and is 8th in the WTA ranking
In this sense, it is worth saying that most of the players had magnificent comments on the contest played in the Yucatecan capital, such as the Navarrese champion, who expressed “the people here are incredible, every time I come to Mexico it feels so special … the people here are so cozy and passionate that they made me feel at home all week. I am very grateful for that and also, the volunteers and all those around the tournament have been super kind, so it has been incredible. ”
Despite the retirement of Paula Badosa, due to an injury, the public could enjoy a true tennis party, which included the Moenia concert, which was held at the end of Thursday’s day, catching the public with their music and atmosphere.
Various stories arose in the tournament, such as the hot ovation that took the Turkish Zeynep Sonmez, champion last year, after falling in the quarterfinals. Sonmez could not help shedding tears in the face of the Mexican public. “I don’t know what Mérida has, I feel very good here, I feel love, support, maybe that’s something that makes me follow,” he said when he advanced to the quarterfinals.
Also, Mayar Sherif and Katarzyna Piter, double champions, spoke of how much they enjoyed their stay in Mexico, being able to visit tourist attractions and gastronomy offered by the State. Katarzyna visited the Cenotes of Santa Barbara, while Sherif said fascinated with local cuisine.
In other words, that being a WTA 500 event, this year Merida Open offered a $ 1,064,510 bag.
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