Despite his Mexican-American heritage, Emilio Nava spent much of his formative years plying his trade on the Spanish clay.
The current World No. 85 has teased a breakout in recent years and has particularly shone on the ATP Challenger circuit, where he has collected five titles in the last two seasons.
In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Emilio Nava detailed his training at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy, where he trained with Carlos Alcaraz.
The American star trained with Alcaraz when he was as young as 15 and, although he was impressed by Alcaraz’s talent, he admitted that he was surprised by the star’s Grand Slam success.
Speaking to Tennis365 about his recent collaboration with new hydration drink, Electrolit, Nava detailed his time with the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
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“I spent four years in Alicante at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy, and yeah, countless trainings with Alcaraz: he’s a next level. Yeah, he’s pretty good, he’s pretty good, and mentally he was, you could just tell that he was on a different, he was on a different level, and it was great to get those four years of experience and exposure with, with someone like him.
“I think I’m slowly but surely doing my own path in my own way, but I’m always trying to, trying to understand what he was doing good, and maybe trying to implement that into my game, and my mentality.”
Asked if he was surprised to see his practice partner take the ATP Tour by storm with his first Grand Slam victory at the age of 18, Nava responded: “Of course, I mean, who wasn’t surprised, you know? He was 18, [one of] the youngest players to ever win a Grand Slam.
“I was surprised, but at the same time I was like, it was only a matter of time. He was physically, he was an absolute animal. And he continues to be. It’s a shame that he got hurt, but I think he’ll be back for sure. But yeah, it was amazing to, to see him growing up.
“I met him when he was, when he was 15, I think, and he kept getting bigger and bigger and stronger, and it was cool to see. It was cool to be a part of.
“Every tournament we see each other, big hug, and I know the whole team, and we’re all, we’re all super close, so it’s, it’s a cool camaraderie.”
Nava hopes to reach the levels Alcaraz has set in his career and he believes his new drink partnership with Electrolit is helping him on the court.
Speaking about his relationships with the drink, he revealed: “I try to definitely drink it when I’m traveling? That’s that’s one of my bigger ones, because the plane dehydrates you like like no other, and and then definitely on court, and after the matches to recover, and just feel good and lively, to be able to recover, and then do it again the next day and get gone back on court for for an extra another three hours, and try to do it again, and keep the mentality and the mental space clear. I think it is massive for me.”
Nava is currently playing at the Slovak Open, his final clay court event of the swing, before he heads onto the grass.