Meet Challenger Star Mariano Navone, ‘La Navoneta’ | ATP Tour | Tennis

In the event you had been to observe Mariano Navoneyou’d seemingly hear his fellow Argentines chanting, ‘La Navoneta!’ The 22-year-old, who has received two consecutive ATP Challenger Tour titles, obtained this nickname when he first got here onto the scene two years in the past.

Then-ranked No. 582 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Navone was given a wild card on the Buenos Aires Challenger in October 2021. He earned his maiden ATP Challenger Tour victory that week and native followers started to name him ‘La Navoneta’. The nickname has caught.

“In Argentina, the nationwide soccer crew’s supervisor is Lionel Scaloni. ‘La Scaloneta’ is the nickname of the crew that all the folks in Argentina use,” Navone informed ATPTour.com. “So ‘La Navoneta’ is like the identical, however with much less folks as a result of I am not very well-known!

“I take pleasure in it as a result of the folks symbolize me with that identify. The folks do not say, ‘Mariano’, they are saying ‘La Navoneta!’”

Navone immediately discovered success on the Challenger degree, competing in three finals in his first six tournaments. However he initially struggled to go one step additional to face within the winners’ circle. The 22-year-old has since flipped the script. Navone is driving a 10-match successful streak with triumphs on the Poznan and Santa Fe Challengers.

“It is unbelievable, two titles in a row. In Poznan, I received my first High-100 match [against Federico Coria] and my first title. That week was so particular,” Navone mentioned. “After I performed in Poznan, I went to Wimbledon and there I performed dangerous, it was troublesome to play on grass. Then I used to be completely satisfied to win at dwelling [in Santa Fe]it was my first time to win at dwelling. It is unbelievable, I received the ultimate with my household within the field, and my coach and physio. I performed all of the matches and did not lose a set.

“After I received in Poznan, the very first thing I had in my mind was, ‘Calm down!’. Now, I am a champion. I relaxed after which I loved it due to all my work through the years. After I misplaced the three finals, I misplaced as a result of I used to be very nervous. I used to be very nervous on this ultimate too however I might management it. After I misplaced the ultimate final yr in Villa Maria, I used to be pissed off as a result of I performed three Challenger finals and two Futures finals and I by no means received. It was troublesome in my head.”

Navone, who’s at a career-high World No. 164 within the Pepperstone ATP Dwell Rankings, acknowledged that the ATP Challenger Tour has been essential in serving to him develop his younger profession.

“Challengers have modified my life. I made my first ultimate in 2022 in Corrientes. In that second, I used to be round 520 within the rankings. The extent of Challengers has given me every little thing,” Navone mentioned. “The matches have a whole lot of depth. The competitors, the gamers are so particular. They’ve developed my sport and mentally. It’s totally troublesome to win.”

Boasting a 20-13 season report on the Challenger degree, the Argentine will subsequent be in motion on the International Tennis Verona in Italy, the place play runs from 24-30 July.