Emma Navarro beats Victoria Mboko in Strasbourg to win first title in 15 months

Emma Navarro claimed her first title in 15 months after beating Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in the Strasbourg Open tennis final on Saturday (23 May).

Top seed and world No. 9 Mboko was the favourite in the WTA 500 title clash.

But 25-year-old U.S. star Navarro stunned her fellow North American, handing her an opening set bagel with a near-flawless performance on the serve and return.

Mboko's drop-shot excellence helped her bounce back in the second set, where she was also forced to save a championship point at 5-4. But Navarro remained cool and calm to wrap up victory in the decider.

Victory in Strasbourg marked Navarro's third WTA title overall, following title wins in Mérida, Mexico in February 2025 and Hobart, Australia in January 2024. It was also her first title victory on clay.

"It's kind of been a little bit of a rocky year and a half or so, but I think we put in a lot of really good work," said Navarro, who is projected to rise to No. 25 in the WTA Rankings, up 14 spots from her current No. 39.

The title also served as a much-needed relief to Navarro, who endured a tough start to the season, battling illness and being forced to withdraw from several tournaments over the last few months.

Up next, she heads to the 2026 French Open, the clay-court major, in the best form of her career on the surface. Her best result at Roland Garros was a fourth-round run in 2024.

Click here to read article