CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston native Emma Navarro’s profile only continues to grow.

Following the 2024 season, Navarro was named the Women’s Tennis Association’s Most Improved Player on Dec. 9.

“As one of the most exciting young talents in women’s tennis,” reads WTA’s announcement, “Navarro continues to shine on and off the court.”

Navarro ended 2023 ranked No. 38 in the world but climbed to No. 8 this year and played for the United States in the Paris Olympics, lending credibility to her argument for being one of the rising stars in Women’s tennis. The 23-year-old claimed her first title at the WTA 250 Hobart International. It served as an early omen for how the rest of the season progressed.

“Here success just got stronger and stronger, and you could see her confidence level grow. It was an amazing thing to watch and to see because we’ve watched Emma grow up here,” said Bob Moran, tournament director of the Credit One Charleston Open. “To have a player find that much success – in a very short period of time – is truly incredible.”

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She burst onto the tennis scene at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals in each event.

Navarro also made semifinal appearances in Bad Homburg (500), Toronto (1000) and Monterrey (500). The 23-year-old also enjoyed three wins over top 5 players on the Hologic WTA Tour this year.

“Emma has always been an incredibly smart player,” Moran said. “She, from a fitness perspective, has really upped her game. Through coaching, the friends around her, her family, and then to actually put in the work – that made all the difference in the world. You could see her confidence growing. And once she won a couple of those big matches, you could see that [feeling of] I can beat anybody in the world. It was incredible.”

Alongside Navarro’s claim, Aryne Sabalenka, 26, earned WTA Player of the Year. She won two Grand Slam titles and finished 2024 ranked No. 1. Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were picked at Doubles Team of the Year, while Paula Badosa earned Comeback Player of the Year.

Rounding out the awards was Lulu Sun, who was named Newcomer of the Year.