Emma Navarro Details Years-Long Health Battle, Impact on Tennis Career
The American tennis player revealed diagnoses of RED-S and Hashimoto's, leading to significant weight loss and impacting her performance before a recent recovery.
Tennis player Emma Navarro has disclosed a multi-year health struggle, including diagnoses of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) and Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, which significantly affected her physical and mental well-being and her career trajectory. Navarro revealed these details in an Instagram post on Wednesday, explaining that the conditions began to impact her in 2023.
RED-S is a condition where the body cannot produce enough energy to support physical activity and daily life. Hashimoto’s is a thyroid condition that can also lead to fatigue and other issues.
Navarro described a gradual decline starting in 2023, her first full year on tour, during which she climbed from a WTA ranking of 150 to nearly 30. She competed in 88 matches that year, the most of any player on tour. Despite outward appearances of success and peak physical condition, Navarro began experiencing frustration, perfectionism, worry, and anger. She reported constant hunger, losing nearly 20 pounds in 2023 and another 10 pounds in 2024. Her immune system suffered, leading to frequent illnesses, and she experienced mental health challenges such as brain fog and memory difficulties.
"I had to be so careful about expending energy because I couldn’t afford to waste any," Navarro wrote. "I had night after night of restless sleep, waking up just as tired as before. My skin began to show signs of weakness, developing rashes on my neck and scalp."
By the Australian Open in 2025, Navarro found herself struggling to perform, reaching the quarterfinals but feeling depleted. Her match win rate dropped from 72 percent in 2023 to 56 percent in 2025. Early exits followed at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open.
Seeking answers, Navarro consulted specialists and nutritionists who determined she had been under-fueling for nearly three years. This realization prompted a significant shift in her approach to nutrition, training, and overall health.
Over the past year, Navarro has adjusted her diet, increased her energy intake, monitored her blood sugar and symptoms, and worked with specialists on medication. These changes have led to improved sleep, reduced headaches, enhanced mental clarity, and increased physical strength and energy.
Her recovery has translated to on-court success. In May, Navarro won the WTA 500 event in Strasbourg and later reached the final of the Nottingham WTA 250 tournament. She concluded her year with a strong quarterfinal performance at the U.S. Open, losing to fellow American Jessica Pegula in three sets. Currently ranked world No. 24, Navarro aims to continue building on her recovery.
"So yeah, I gained some weight this year. But I also gained my life back," Navarro stated. "I have enough energy to seize every day. To train or compete as hard as I want to. And to live a life outside of tennis."
Navarro has withdrawn from competing in Asia and plans to take the rest of the year off to focus on her treatment and nutrition in preparation for the Australian Open in early 2027. She emphasized the value of health over physical appearance, noting, "There is no weight on the scale or leanness in your limbs that is more valuable than your health or well-being."