Emma Navarro is just a girl—that much comes across over a Zoom call ahead of her first round at the US Open. Still, the 24-year-old athlete currently ranks No. 11 in the Women’s Tennis Association and reached the semifinals at last year’s tournament. So no, she’s not just any girl—but that doesn’t stop her from indulging her love of jewelry. Look at any photo of her while she’s playing a match, and you’ll find glimmering ear stacks, layered necklaces, and bracelets. It makes sense, then, that the tennis star has partnered up with cult-favorite jewelry label Mejuri—a DTC brand that’s become known for its everyday pieces. During her chat with ELLE.com, the star shares the pieces she’s been wearing nonstop, how she keeps her head in the game, even during the more challenging moments, and what she’ll be up to when she isn’t spending her time at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center prepping for her next match (hint: It involves ice cream). See the conversation below.
Let’s discuss the Mejuri Play collection—are there any specific pieces from this that have caught your eye as favorites?
I love everything they come up with. The stack I have now is really fun for anyone; I have this chain with a diamond E charm, which is cool because it’s personal to me. I also love the pavé diamonds Mejuri has, which I have on my earrings.
How do you plan to style this collection both on and off the court?
I have my go-to everyday pieces I rotate in and out every couple of weeks, but a lot of days it stays the same. I’m running and jumping around a lot, so my jewelry has to be more lightweight. It’s fun when I’m off-court and I’m wearing a chunkier earring with a more casual outfit. I love the Brioche Earrings, and I’ll maybe put on a bigger necklace or two. Mejuri has some really nice colors too, like an aqua blue necklace and a chunkier green one that I really like. I like to wear very neutral-colored clothing and then add a pop of color with jewelry to get outside the box a little.
You have quite the earscapes and stacks—are there any pieces you consider must-haves?
Right now, I have nine piercings. I have the Celeste Studs in; they remind me of a constellation—it’s a two-in-one type of earring, which I think is really cool. I like to be bedazzled with my earscape. Most of the time, we’re wearing performance gear, so it’s fun to wear earrings and necklaces and bracelets, and it makes me feel a bit more feminine. It adds a more elegant touch to my athletic outfits. Otherwise, I keep it pretty simple when I’m playing, and I’ll wear a lot of gold—I’m a gold girl, especially now—so I always have a good necklace stack and rotate through my bracelets—I like to wear this initial bracelet, too.
Do you consider yourself a tennis bracelet or a tennis necklace type of girl?
Yeah—I am. I’m not wearing my tennis bracelet right now, but I definitely have it in the rotation. It’s classy, it’s classic, it’s elegant, and sometimes when the sun hits it right, it sparkles, so that’s fun to have out on the court when I’m playing.
Fashion has come for tennis like never before—how does that play a role in your match-day ’fits?
It’s really cool how tennis feels back in style—a lot of tennis fashion shows that. Now, a lot of players and brands are returning to the fashion space, which I think is really exciting, and it’s something I want to dive into a lot more and continue to be involved in. As for my outfits, they’re simple and I’m able to perform in them. I’m very particular about how things fit and feel, so I try to get that pretty dialed in. I can certainly take more fashion risks, which maybe I’ll look into in the future—but for now, I keep it pretty simple.
On that note, what are the things you typically wear during the non-athletic moments for you?
Yeah, like I said, nothing too crazy, but I love a white T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans that fit nice and a good pair of shoes. I’ve been rocking my Alohas lately and that’s pretty fun. And what else? I got some loafers I like to wear, so I kind of like to keep things simple, but sort of make them fun when it comes together. So yeah, nothing too crazy.
Do you have any match-day rituals to keep your head in the game?
I’m not superstitious, but I put a lot of emphasis on what I’m doing in the gym every day—especially match days to ensure my body is mobilizing how it should and that I’m feeling strong and explosive. I spend an hour in the gym and then get out on the court to hit for probably 30-45 minutes. After that, I just try to chill from there and get in my own space. I do play solitaire on my phone, and that’s a calming, relaxing activity for me to get my mind off things.
When things get more challenging, what do you do to keep yourself going?
Tennis is a really tough sport—you’re challenged every week, and a lot of weeks you’re losing. It’s super rare that you’ll come out of a week having won the tournament, so being able to handle losses is a really big part of the sport. It’s not easy, especially when you feel like you’re working so hard and the results aren’t matching that. Rather than get swept up in the wins and losses, you have to come back to what makes you feel the most fulfilled in the sport. For me, it’s working really hard day in and day out—no matter what I did in the last tournament or how I feel like I’m going to feel in the next one. The results will come at some point—and that’s kind of secondary to the hard work and the dedication.
You’re currently playing in the US Open—are there any traditions you have while you’re in New York?
I love coming to New York City—it’s a great city and probably one of my favorites, if not my favorite city in the world. It has such a unique and vibrant energy about it that’s so fun and feels nostalgic to come back to. Especially during these two weeks, there’s such a cool energy in the city, and there are places I like to eat—I love a New York bagel or a New York slice, so I always try to do that. This year, I want to get down to Caffè Panna and try their ice cream, because I’ve never had it, so we’ll see if I make it down there.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
