Mariano Navone's rise has gone so fast that he has made history in the process. The 23-year-old is the first player in the Open Era to be seeded in his first major main draw.
The Argentine continued his breakthrough Tuesday at Roland Garros, where he won his Grand Slam debut match against Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. At No. 31 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Navone has kept an important mindset all while gaining valuable experience.
“I never set myself a goal of wanting to reach a specific ranking,” Navone said. “What I always like doing is thinking that the next match is the most important. Now I’m playing [Tomas] Machac and the most important match will be Machac. Then if I win, it’ll be the next one, but I don’t really go any further than that.
“Everything I’m experiencing in tennis is because I’m experiencing it today and I’m not getting carried away with what’s going to happen tomorrow. Obviously, I know that I’m the first debutant in the history of a main draw to be seeded, and I know I’ve done a lot of other things. But for me the most important thing is to take it match by match, to keep gaining experience and to try and compete as well as possible.”
Boasting a 12-7 tour-level record in 2024, Navone started the season outside the Top 100 and in six months he has enjoyed a remarkable ascension, thanks to two final appearances (Rio de Janeiro and Bucharest). Earlier this month, he won his biggest career title at the ATP Challenger 175 event in Cagliari, Italy.
The quick success at Tour level opened the doors for Navone to reach his first major main draw at Roland Garros as a seed. It is a very different Paris experience for Navone compared to 2023, when he lost in the qualifying first round.
“This is my second time here at Roland Garros,” Navone said. “It’s a different situation because I’m playing in the main draw. The other day I was able to practise on Philippe Chatrier and it’s a different sport.
“Everything that goes on at a Grand Slam is incredible. So many people, packed stadiums, the accommodation, the food, you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. It’s much easier being able to play like that.”
On top of the satisfaction of a first-round victory, Navone was also able to share it with his loved ones, who were in attendance to watch his opener on the Parisian clay.
“It’s really amazing to have your family there at any tournament, but in a Grand Slam... the hug we shared afterwards off court was incredible,” Navone said. “They’ve grown up watching me play: Grade 1, G2, G3, endless travelling only to lose in round one. Today we can enjoy celebrating my first win in a Grand Slam.
“The best of all is that my sisters are here. One of them lives in Australia and I don’t see her much. They hadn’t had the chance to travel to a big tournament and what I wanted most was for them to experience it. We’re really close as siblings and it’s amazing to be able to enjoy this together, really special.”
Editor's Note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.
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