Shortly after turning professional, Ernesto Escobedo, then 18 years old, sought a practice partner on clay in California. He invited his cousin Emilio Nava, who was just 13 at the time, to join him for a session at Match Point Academy in Santa Ana. Reflecting on that experience, Escobedo shared with ATPTour.com: “We had one of the best practices ever… He kept up like no other and ever since then I just felt like he had something special in his tennis.”
Escobedo went on to become a Top 100 player, and now his cousin Nava is making strides towards similar success. At 23 years old, Nava is currently ranked No. 122 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and continues to climb. He is set to face Holger Rune, the 10th seed, on Court Philippe-Chatrier this Wednesday evening.
Escobedo attributes Nava’s “something special” not only to his technical skills but also to his work ethic and competitive spirit. “He competes very, very well and is just super eager,” Escobedo remarked. “I think that is what makes someone special.”
Nava’s athletic background includes being the son of two Olympians—his mother Xochitl was a tennis player and his father Eduardo competed in track events. This environment instilled in him an appreciation for hard work.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Nava relocated to Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy in Spain where he trained alongside players such as Carlos Alcaraz until late 2023. Escobedo described this period as “a very important part in his career.” He added: “[He] is super committed to his tennis and to his craft.”
Reflecting on this chapter of his life last year, Nava said: “I knew I needed to make some kind of sacrifice…to see if I’m able to make it.”
After leaving Spain, Nava initially moved to Orlando before beginning training under Argentine coach Diego Cristin. This partnership has yielded positive results; earlier this year he won three consecutive ATP Challenger Tour events on clay before reaching another final.
As he prepares for his match against Rune—a rematch following their encounter at an ITF World Tennis Tour event in 2021—Nava brings confidence from recent successes. Rune commented: “He’s very explosive player… Big serve… He wants to go big on a lot of shots.”