‘I Think I Can Win It’

Paula Badosa collapsed, and Emma Navarro took advantage.

Navarro, the No. 13 seed and former NCAA singles champion from the University of Virginia, stormed back from a 5-1 deficit in the second set to beat No. 26 Badosa, 6-2, 7-5, to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open.

In Thursday’s semifinals, she will face No. 2 seed and pre-tournament favorite Aryna Sabalenka, who dispatched No. 7 and Olympic gold medalist Qinwin Zheng, 6-1, 6-2, Tuesday night.

“I think deep down I do believe it [that I can win],” Navarro, who lost in the first round a year ago, told ESPN’s Nick Kyrgios after upsetting defending champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round.

“Yeah, I think I can win it.”

Navarro is 1-1 versus Sabalenka.

“I’ll be up for the challenge of either of them,” she told ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs on court before Sabalenka’s match. “They’re both big servers, big hitters. I think they’ll come aggressively at me, whichever one it was, but yeah, I’ll be ready.”

Navarro, 23, will take home $1,000,000 for reaching the semis. The champion receives $3.6 million and the runner-up $1.8 million.

Navarro, who was born in New York City, is the daughter of billionaire Ben Navarro, who owns the tennis tournaments in Charleston, Cincinnati and Monterey.

“I want to thank my dad who saw a vision from when I was really Young,” Navarro told ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs. “He knew maybe I was a little bit ADHD to be sitting in a classroom or a 9-to-5, and I think he saw something in me from a young age, so that’s, dad, for sending me on this journey.”

Badosa led 5-1 and served for the second set at 5-2 but let her foot off the gas and Navarro broke for 3-5.

“After I got it back to 5-2, I had a little bit of an inkling that it might be two sets and I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there and even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to set the tone for the third set,” Navarro said. “So just really happy with my performance today.

“Crazy, moving on to the semifinals. U.S. Open, baby.”

Navarro won 12 of the 13 points to close within 4-5 on her serve as Badosa collapsed.

“She’s completely lost rhythm on every shot, serve, forehand and backhand, out of nowhere,” ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs said on air.

Badosa then committed two double faults and was broken for 5-all.

Serving at 5-6, 30-all, Badosa netted a forehand, bringing Navarro to match point.

“I just like I might be able to win this in two sets,” Navarro said.

On match point, Navarro won it with a drop shot and then raised her hands in celebration before meeting Badosa at the net.

Navarro won the last six games of the match.

“Nerves cost her the match,” 18-time major champion Chrissie Evert said on air.

Going forward, Navarro is full of confidence and believes she can beat anyone.

“I’m at the point in my career where I’m not scared of any result or making a run in any tournament,” she said.