Magdalena Frech battles past Emma Navarro in Wuhan for first Top 10 win of career

It’s been a year of breakthroughs for Magdalena Frech—including a bunch over the last few weeks, and one just two days ago—and on Wednesday in Wuhan, she hit another career milestone.

The 26-year-old Pole battled to the first Top 10 win of her career, defeating No. 8-ranked Emma Navarro in three sets the second round of the WTA 1000-level tournament, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

“It was a really great battle,” Frech said afterwards. “It was a tough match for me, but I think I played one of my best matches of the year. I just tried to stay calm during the two hours.

“It’s my first Top 10 win, so I’m really happy.”

The world No. 27 had recorded her first three Top 20 wins earlier this year, against a No. 19-ranked Caroline Garcia at the Australian Open, a No. 17-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova in Dubai and a No. 16-ranked Diana Shnaider in Beijing just last week.

But she had been 0-15 against Top 10 players, until now.

MAGDALENA FRECH VS TOP 10 PLAYERS:
l. to No. 10 Stephens in 2018 Roland Garros 2nd Rd, 6-2, 6-2
l. to No. 2 Halep in 2020 Prague QFs, 6-2, 6-0
l. to No. 3 Pliskova in 2021 Indian Wells 2nd Rd, 7-5, 6-2
l. to No. 10 Muguruza in 2022 Eastbourne 2nd Rd, 6-1, 7-6 (7)
l. to No. 1 Swiatek in 2022 Warsaw 1st Rd, 6-1, 6-2
l. to No. 10 Kasatkina in 2022 Granby 2nd Rd, 6-3, 6-2
l. to No. 4 Jabeur in 2023 Indian Wells 2nd Rd, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
l. to No. 3 Pegula in 2023 Madrid 2nd Rd, 7-6 (5), 6-3
l. to No. 6 Jabeur in 2023 Wimbledon 1st Rd, 6-3, 6-3
l. to No. 10 Muchova in 2023 US Open 1st Rd, 6-3, 6-3
l. to No. 4 Gauff in 2024 Australian Open 4th Rd, 6-1, 6-2
l. to No. 4 Rybakina in 2024 Dubai 3rd Rd, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4
l. to No. 3 Gauff in 2024 Rome 2nd Rd, 6-3, 6-3
l. to No. 6 Vondrousova in 2024 Strasbourg 2nd Rd, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0
l. to No. 7 Zheng in 2024 Cincinnati 2nd Rd, 6-1, 7-5
d. No. 8 Navarro in 2024 Wuhan 2nd Rd, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Frech’s first few breakthroughs of 2024 came in the early months of the season, including reaching the fourth round of a major for the first time at the Australian Open, then making her Top 50 debut a few weeks later after a third-round showing in Dubai.

The floodgates have really opened since the US Open, though, starting with her first WTA title the week after the last major of the year—it came at the WTA 500 event in Guadalajara, Mexico, and after that she broke into the Top 40 for the first time.

Two days ago, Frech made her Top 30 debut, and today she scored the first Top 10 win of her career against Navarro.

She’s now won nine of her last 10 matches.

Standing between her and the first WTA 1000 quarterfinal of her career will be the winner of the match between former Top 10 players Beatriz Haddad Maia and Veronika Kudermetova.