Emma Navarro is ending her season early. The tennis player has gone public with a rare condition.
Emma Navarro is ending her season early and has gone public with the health issues she has been facing for years. The 25-year-old American explained in a detailed Instagram post that she had been diagnosed with the rare condition RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). This describes a situation where energy intake is insufficient in relation to the demands of everyday life and competitive sport.
Navarro described how she had been consuming too little energy for almost three years. “My brain was tired, just like my body. I slept poorly and woke up just as exhausted,” wrote the world number 24. She reported suffering from headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, anxiety and mood swings.
During a Billie Jean King Cup match in autumn 2025, she broke down in tears on court: “I was devastated at the thought of representing my country in this state of exhaustion, hunger and confusion.”
Navarro goes public with her illness
According to Navarro, her condition has gradually improved through working with doctors, nutritionists and other specialists.
“I’ve put on a few kilos this year, but I’ve also got my life back,” she wrote. “No number on the scales and no slim figure is more important than health and wellbeing. ”
Navarro intends to further adjust her medication and dietary regimens, will no longer compete in Asia, and plans to return to the tour starting in Australia in 2027.
On the sporting front, Navarro ends the season with two finals. In Strasbourg, she won the WTA 500 title against Victoria Mboko 6–0, 5–7, 6–2, celebrating her first tournament victory on clay. In the final in Nottingham on grass, she lost to Marie Bouzkova 6–7 (5–7), 6–4, 2–6.
