The US already boasts a promising roster of young tennis stars but there is a new name on the scene.
Emma Navarro is quickly establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with on the senior tour, with the 23-year-old reaching the quarterfinals at this year’s Wimbledon.
While her rise through the ranks has been rapid, it perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Navarro enjoyed a successful college career at Virginia, becoming the 2021 NCAA champion in her freshman year – a result which then qualified her for the US Open main draw, where she lost in the first round.
She decided to turn her full attention to professional tennis in 2022, finishing her college career with a record of 51-3 in singles matches.
Her father Ben Navarro is founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group and is valued by Forbes as being worth $1.5 billion.／Wikimedia Commons
Billionaire heiress
Just like compatriot Jessica Pegula, Navarro is the daughter of a billionaire.
Her father Ben Navarro is founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group and is valued by Forbes as being worth $1.5 billion.
He has also invested heavily in tennis. In 2022, he paid nearly $300 million to buy the Cincinnati Open – a warmup event for the US Open every year.
In an interview with the Tennis Channel earlier this season, Navarro credited her calm demeanour and mindset to her dad.
“He’s probably the smartest guy I know and he’s dropped a lot of knowledge and wisdom on my siblings and I over the years,” she said.
“He’s taught me a bunch about the perspective I want to take into things, especially on-court stuff.”
Despite being set to inherit a fortune, Navarro looks determined to make her own name and has a chance to do exactly that at this year’s Wimbledon.
She will next face Italian Jasmine Paolini on Tuesday for a place in the semifinals.
