In a remarkable turnaround, Emma Navarro, the 23-year-old American tennis player, continued her breathtaking run at the US Open by defeating Paula Badosa 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Navarro's victory follows her stunning upset of defending champion Coco Gauff, propelling her into her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal.

Facing a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 deficit in the second set, Navarro displayed incredible resilience, winning the next four points to stay in the match. This marked the beginning of a remarkable turnaround, as she went on to claim 24 of the final 28 points, securing her place in the semifinals. Navarro, ranked 13th in the tournament, will now face either Aryna Sabalenka or Qinwen Zheng in Thursday's highly anticipated match.

Navarro's journey at her home major has been nothing short of extraordinary. Prior to this year, she had never won a match in the main draw of the US Open. However, her breakthrough performances this year have catapulted her into the spotlight and positioned her as a force to be reckoned with in the world of tennis.

In her quarterfinal match against Paula Badosa, Navarro swiftly took control in the first set, winning it in just 29 minutes. However, Badosa, seeded 26th in the tournament, mounted a determined comeback, establishing a commanding 5-1 lead in the second set. Nevertheless, Navarro broke Badosa's serve in the following game, igniting her belief that she could claim victory in straight sets.

Speaking about her confidence during the match, Navarro stated, "I just felt like I might be able to win this in two sets." Her intuition proved to be correct as she mounted an impressive six-game winning streak, aided by Badosa's struggle to cope with the pressure of reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal. Badosa described her performance as a "disaster" and expressed surprise at her inability to regain momentum.

Navarro's triumph over Badosa adds to her growing list of accomplishments this year. She previously defeated Coco Gauff in the fourth round at Wimbledon before falling to Jasmine Paolini in the subsequent round. However, her victory over Gauff established her as a formidable opponent and set the stage for her current US Open campaign.

Notably, Navarro's achievement places her in elite company. She becomes the sixth player in the past 40 years to reach the US Open semifinals without having previously won a main-draw match at the tournament. This list includes recent champions Bianca Andreescu (2019) and Emma Raducanu (2021), further emphasizing Navarro's exceptional rise in the tennis world.

Touted as the 2021 NCAA singles champion at the University of Virginia, Navarro's breakout year has seen her surpass previous limitations on the Grand Slam stage. She now joins the ranks of two other former women's college players in the past 40 years to reach the semifinals at Flushing Meadows: Lori McNeil from Oklahoma State in 1987 and Jennifer Brady from UCLA in 2020.

As Navarro's inspiring journey continues, the tennis world awaits her upcoming semifinal clash, eager to witness if she can continue her impressive form and secure a spot in the US Open final.