The afternoon sun fills in to the door of the DLC as Maria Navarro walks in with her friends, laughter trailing behind them in the warm breeze. Her golden hair shines in the light as she flashes her signature smile – one that seems to make the whole room a little lighter. Her friends share the same infectious energy, their voices filled with excitement as they chatter about the day’s events.
At just sixteen years old, sophomore Navarro has already established herself as one of the top tennis players in the country. Navarro is also a blue-chip recruit, ranked in the top-25 nationally for her age group, ranked seventh in the Southeast region, and ranked fourth in Florida. She is also an integral member of our girls’ varsity tennis team, having won the FHSAA Singles State Championship and finished second in the Doubles State Championship last year and hoping for another big win this season.
Navarro first picked up a tennis racket when she was just four-years old. Inspired by her father, Carlos, a former Bolivian National Champion and Division-I college player at the University of Oregon, she started practicing at the local courts in Miami. What began as a casual Saturday morning activity turned into a much more serious commitment. “After a few months, I wanted to play more so I started practicing on Wednesdays and Saturdays. As time went by, I not only started playing more frequently but also began competing in tournaments. I won my first tournament in 2017 and just kept going from there,” Navarro said.
Over the years, Navarro has competed in numerous prestigious tournaments, including the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Championships in both clay and hard court categories. Her accomplishments include state championship wins in both singles and doubles as well as top finishes at national and international events. Most recently, she placed fifth in singles and fourth in doubles at the Winter National Championship 16 and under competition.
Training is an essential part of Navarro’s routine. “I train every day after school for about 2-3 hours. On weekends, I practice another 2-3 hours if I don’t have a tournament. Depending on my tournament schedule, sometimes I even train before school for about an hour,” Navarro said. On top of this rigorous schedule, Navarro also allocates time to strength and conditioning throughout the week.
Though tennis has become her primary focus, Navarro has also played soccer for several years. “I started playing soccer when I was seven years old and played both sports until I was 15,” Navarro revealed. She decided to step away from soccer this year to focus more on tennis and the recruitment process.
Balancing athletics, school, and personal life hasn’t been easy, but Navarro has learned the importance of time management. “When I go to tournaments, the majority of the girls I compete against are homeschooled, meaning they spend more hours training. I want to attend school in person because I believe that it is a crucial part of a person’s social and academic life. This all means I need to really focus on what I’m doing at the moment and try not to waste time. I believe that balance is very important, it helps relieve stress because you aren’t focused on one thing. Instead, you have multiple things to do and it helps me work harder to achieve my goals,” Navarro explained.
Her father remains her biggest influence, instilling in her the values of perseverance, determination, and responsibility. “He always tells me that if I put in the work and do everything correctly, I will get rewarded for my effort. He has taught me to try my hardest and never give up,” Navarro expressed.
In addition to her father, Navarro looks up to tennis legend Roger Federer. “Federer recently spoke at the graduation ceremony at Dartmouth and said a couple of things that have stuck with me. One thing he said that was very important to me was that no matter what happens, you have to keep moving forward. This has influenced me a lot because it taught me that not only in tennis, but in life, you may face a setback and you have to come back and keep going forward to reach your goals,” Navarro shared.
This mindset has shaped Navarro’s approach to both tennis and life, strengthening the resilience she has developed through years of competition. “Tennis is a brutal sport. You’re out there on your own – no coach, no teammates, just you. You work so hard, and when you finally break through that feeling is what makes you love the sport even more. Champions aren’t defined by their wins, but how they react when they face a challenge,” Navarro said.
As she continues her journey, Navarro remains focused on improving her game and competing at the highest levels. “This is not a skill you develop overnight; it takes experience to stay calm during high-stakes matches. Even after losing a point, you have to recover and focus on the next one. The top players win approximately 50% of the points they play, so you can’t dwell on a single mistake. You have to learn to keep your cool and stay in the moment,” Navarro said.
With a bright future ahead, Navarro is determined to keep pushing herself to new heights while maintaining the balance she has worked hard to achieve.
