The top two seeds in Mérida made their entrance as No. 1 Jasmine Paolini (who took a wild card after her early exit in the Middle East) and No. 2 Emma Navarro – the defending champion – take the court.

Navarro has virtually gone underground in recent months. It’s kind of insane for a player who was at No. 8 after the 2024 US Open, and steady as they come, to be at No. 20 and falling.

She was 4-6 on the season and has won back-to-back matches just once since the China Open in late September last year. She has mostly lost to very good players, but still …

Those losses include one to Zhang Shuai in Wuhan last fall; she faced Zhang again in her opener Thursday. With the loss – she was up a break in the first set before things fell apart, she could drop down to No. 30.

ATP Tour – Thursday results

(Mérida and Austin are an hour behind ET).

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Mérida Open Akron
Location: Mérida, Mexico
Category: WTA 500 
Surface: Hard Court
Dates:  Feb. 23 – March 1, 2026
Prize Money: $1,206,446
Draws: S28 – D16

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026
Final results

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Singles, second round

[Q] Zhang Shuai (CHN) def [2] Emma Navarro (USA) 64 64 

Zeynep Sonmez (TUR) def [3] Ann Li (USA) 36 76 (7) 64

Magdalena Frech (POL) def [7] Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) 60 63  

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[1/WC] Jasmine Paolini (ITA) def [LL] Priscilla Hon (AUS) 60 62

 

–

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Doubles, quarterfinals

[2] Cristina Bucsa (ESP) / Jiang Xinyu (CHN) def. Rutuja Bhosale (IND) / Makoto Ninomiya (JPN) 62 63

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Isabelle Haverlag (NED) / Maia Lumdsen (GBR) def Quinn Gleason (USA) / Magali Kempen (BEL) 64 64

Tang Qianhui / Xu Yifan (CHN) def Anastasia Detiuc (CZE) / Sabrina Santamaria (USA) 64 60

Katarzyna Piter (POL) / Janice Tjen (INA) def Marie Bouzkova (CZE) / Ann Li (USA) 76 (3) 63

–

  –

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ATX Open
Location: Austin, Texas
Category: WTA 250 
Surface: Hard Court
Dates:  Feb. 23 – March 1, 2026
Prize Money: $283,347
Draws: S32 – D16

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026
Final results

–

Singles, second round

Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) def [2] Iva Jovic (USA) 46 64 64

– 

[4] Peyton Stearns (USA) def. Kaja Juvan (SLO) 60 62

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Kimberly Birrell (AUS) def [Q] Caroline Dolehide (USA) 64 62

Ashlyn Krueger (USA) def Anastasia Zakharova (RUS) 75 63 

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Doubles, quarterfinals

[1] Storm Hunter (AUS) / Taylor Townsend (USA) def Oksana Selekhmeteva / Anastasia Zakharova (RUS) 62 60

[2] Shuko Aoyama (CHN) / Ena Shibahara (JPN) def. Mana Ayukawa / Kanako Morisaki (JPN) 63 63

[3] Eudice Chong (HKG) / En-Shuo Liang (TPE) def [PR] Emily Appleton (GBR) / Alexa Guarachi (CHI) 60 61

–

– 

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ATP Tour – Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 final results

WTA Tour – Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 final results

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