"When I was playing juniors last year it was all Grand Slams and nice tournaments. Now it’s going to be that grind day in, day out, every week, so I’m looking forward to that."
This week's TENNIS.com Podcast features Emilio Nava, a rising American teenager. He joined Nina Pantic and Irina Falconi in the USTA National Campus studio during the off-season.
The 18-year-old reached the junior Australian Open and US Open finals in 2019, ending the year as the No. 5 junior in the world. Now he's turning his attention to the pro tour with a ranking of No. 940, and shares what it's like to commit to the transition. 
The teenager talks about how he got into tennis, why he idolizes David Ferrer, his move out of the USTA dorms, his yoga skills, and a lot more. 
Nava is part of a tennis-playing family: his mom represented Mexico in the 1988 Olympics, his older brother Eduardo plays for Wake Forest and his cousin is ATP pro Ernesto Escobedo. He gives credit to his family for his competitive spirit and love for the game. 
Watch the TENNIS.com Podcast episodes on YouTube and Facebook.
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