Emilio Nava Champions a Cause as He Prepares to Face Taylor Fritz at US Open

NEW YORK - On Sunday, August 24, 2025, wildcard entrant Emilio Nava will make his fourth U.S. Open main-draw appearance when he faces American No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz in the first round on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Nava, 23, arrives at Flushing Meadows ranked a career-high No. 101 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He wants to win his first Grand Slam match. But he’s also using this big stage to promote a personal mission: ending drunk driving./strong>. The Californian will wear a patch for the Live Like Braun Foundation. This foundation honors 18-year-old Braun Levi, who was sadly killed in May by a suspected drunk driver.

““I heard Braun’s story from friends, and it hit me hard,” Nava told ATPTour.com. ““If I can help even one person decide to take an Uber instead of driving drunk, that’s worth everything.” The foundation works to raise awareness about the risks of impaired driving. It also urges people to make safer choices away from the court.

Nava has had a remarkable year. He claimed five ATP Challenger titles and played on center court in Cincinnati twice. This success has raised his profile. ““Better results mean a bigger voice,” he said. ““Now I can use tennis to change lives.”

Taylor Fritz has a 2–0 lead over Nava in their matchups. He won in straight sets during the second round of Cincinnati earlier this month. Fritz, the No. 4 seed, praised the rising star: “From playing in SoCal to one of the biggest stadiums in the world-Emilio’s journey is impressive. He’s a fierce competitor”.

First-serve action begins at 5:05 p.m. ET, with live coverage on ABC and streaming via ESPN+ and fuboTV. Win or lose, Nava wants the focus to be on his message, not the score, as he steps onto the court.