Emma Navarro downed a fan’s beer at the 2024 Australian Open (Image: Eurosport)
The Australian Open gets underway this weekend. The first Major of the season is often regarded as the ‘Happy Slam’.
Players always seem to enjoy themselves in Melbourne. Everyone is fresh from the off-season and the warm weather definitely helps.
And Emma Navarro was certainly had fun when she made her tournament debut 12 months ago, downing a fan’s beer before signing the bottle to celebrate her match win.
Navarro enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 season, cracking the top 10 winning the WTA award for most improved player of the year. It all started Down Under, as she lifted her first career title in Hobart.
The American star then made her debut at the , reaching the third round of a Major for the first time when she came from a set down to beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto in round two.
Navarro was clearly delighted with her milestone win and she found the perfect way to celebrate. As fans handed down items of merchandise to be signed by the 23-year-old, one had an unusual request, passing her a bottle of Carlton Dry.
The world No. 8 obliged, guzzling the beer and signing the bottle before she gave it back, now half empty. Fans quickly dubbed Navarro an ‘honorary Aussie’.
Emma Navarro reached the third round of the Australian Open on her debut in 2024 (Image: Getty)
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Commentator Mike Cation was also impressed. “She just drank that beer and signed it. Respect,” he laughed.
Navarro later said: “I’m pretty easy-going off the court, pretty chill. Not so serious as I am on the court.”
Her run ultimately ended in the third round but the Australian summer was the perfect springboard for Navarro to go on and have a successful season. She stunned in Indian Wells a few weeks later.
Navarro continued to improve at the Majors – she reached the fourth round of the French Open, the quarter-final of and the semi-final of the US Open, beating at the latter two events.
She cracked the top 10 thanks to her run in Flushing Meadows and now sits at No. 8 in the world.
The American also made her Olympic debut and just missed out on qualifying for the WTA Finals. She turned down the alternate position as she was still recovering from an illness.
But Navarro had a tough start to the 2025 season in Brisbane last week, losing her opening match to Aussie wildcard Kim Birrell.