Mariano Navone's US Open Journey: A Rising Star

Mariano Navone is ripping up the script at the US Open. The Argentinian, still searching for his first Grand Slam title, has stormed into the spotlight in New York with a run that has stunned the tournament and shifted the conversation around his career.

It started with the shock that shook the draw: a first‑round victory over Novak Djokovic. Beating a legend of that stature would have been enough to define a fortnight for most players. Navone didn’t stop there. He backed it up by taking out Matteo Berrettini in round two, proving it was no one‑off surge but a player riding a genuine wave of form and belief.

Next up, on September 4, comes Tomás Martín Etcheverry. An all‑Argentinian clash. A chance for Navone to push deeper than he has ever gone at Flushing Meadows. This is already his longest run at the US Open, but the way he is playing, it doesn’t feel like he’s satisfied with that line on his résumé.

With that rise has come a familiar modern question: who is the man behind the sudden star, away from the noise and the floodlights?

A private life pushed into the glare

Navone himself opened that door after his landmark win over Djokovic. Still processing the scale of what he had done, he allowed a glimpse into his inner circle.

“I don't want to get too emotional, but… it's going to be quite a night,” he told reporters. “In a little while, I'll call my sisters, my girlfriend, everyone. It's just crazy, but I'm truly happy, so happy about this.”

The comment confirmed what many fans were wondering: yes, Navone is in a relationship, and his partner is very much part of the support system carrying him through the most intense days of his career.

Her name is Julieta Villarreal Cerezo.

Who is Julieta Villarreal Cerezo?

Scroll through Navone’s Instagram and you’ll see the usual snapshots of a touring pro’s life: practice courts, match days, travel, the grind that sits beneath every big win. Tucked among those posts, though, is a more personal note.

In February 2025, he shared a birthday tribute to Cerezo. The message, written in his native language, translated roughly to a warm, layered declaration: unconditional love, a companion like no other, and a playful nod to her chocotorta — a classic Argentine dessert — as “amazing.” He finished it with affection and a simple wish for more coffee and little trips together.

It wasn’t the first time she appeared on his feed. Navone also posted a birthday message for her in February 2024, underlining that this is not a fleeting presence but a long‑standing relationship. The exact moment they started dating remains private, and they’ve kept the timeline largely to themselves, but the pattern is clear: she has been there while his career has quietly built toward this breakout moment.

A career built around sport, just not on court

Cerezo’s world also revolves around sport, though from the other side of the microphone.

According to her professional profile, she works as a senior communications analyst in the marketing department at Asociación Argentina de Polo, a role she has held since 2024. It’s a position that sits at the crossroads of elite sport, branding, and media — the kind of job that demands sharp messaging and a steady hand under pressure.

Before that, from 2019 to 2024, she worked in the press and communications department at Asociación Argentina de Tenis. That overlap with the national tennis structure offers an obvious, and very plausible, path for how their lives intersected. He was a rising player; she was shaping the stories around the sport. At some point, those lines likely crossed.

Now, as Navone walks into the biggest matches of his life, he does so with a partner who understands both the emotional strain and the media storm that comes with success at this level. The cameras will stay fixed on his forehand and his fight. Somewhere just beyond that frame, though, is the person he calls when the stadium empties and the adrenaline fades — and in a tournament that can change a career overnight, that kind of anchor can matter just as much as any booming serve.