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Meet rising tennis star Emma Navarro – whose dad is worth US$1.5 billion

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“That’s an atmosphere that could easily overwhelm me, or overwhelm any player, and I spent just a good amount of time preparing myself mentally for the emotions and the nerves I was going to feel. Then once I got out there, I just felt really at home,” the young athlete told reporters after the match. Next up at Wimbledon, she’ll play against Russian-born Diana Shnaider.

Here’s what you need to know about the next big tennis star to watch – and her intriguing background:

Where is Emma Navarro from?

Emma Navarro celebrates after winning her women’s singles match against Madison Keys on day seven of the French Open on June 1. Photo: AFP

According to US media, Navarro was born in New York City in 2001, then went on to attend Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina. Per WTA Tennis, she was a fourth-ranked American in the sport.

Who are Emma Navarro’s parents?

Emma Navarro with her family in Paris, including dad Ben and mum Kelly. Photo: @emma_navarro48/Instagram

Emma Navarro hails from an ultra-wealthy family. Per Forbes, her father Ben Navarro is the founder of Sherman Financial Group, the company behind Credit One, which has distributed 18 million credit cards to date.

Ben is also the former vice-president of Citigroup with a net worth of US$1.5 billion by Forbes estimate, though some media outlets put his fortune at an even greater number. “As a fan, father, and business owner, tennis has brought so much to our family,” he told The Post and Courier in 2019. “Junior tennis has provided a place for our children to learn a work ethic, develop friendship through shared struggle, and learn to handle disappointment, defeat, and sometimes even unfairness.”

How did Emma Navarro get into tennis?

Emma Navarro said she started to get serious about tennis aged 9 or 10. Photo: @emma_navarro48/Instagram
According to Emma’s interview with Charleston Day School, she “started to get serious about tennis in fourth grade”. Clearly, she worked hard to get where she is now. “I would get up at around 5.45am and go play tennis for about an hour before school,” she told her alma mater. “Although I’m pretty sure I drove Mrs. Tonks crazy with my tardiness every morning, that was when I started to understand the sacrifices I was going to have to make to achieve my goals in tennis.”

US media notes that Navarro rose to international fame when she won the junior French Open doubles title with Chloe Beck and finished as the singles tournament’s runner-up.

She enjoys lavish family holidays

Tennis star Emma Navarro on holiday in Greece. Photo: @emma_navarro48/Instagram

Away from tennis, Navarro appreciates her downtime, often with family. As seen on her Instagram, she’s done everything from sandboarding on desert dunes to lush boat trips in Greece.

Per her interview with Charleston Day School, tennis has also taken her on adventures across the globe, visiting countries including France, Italy, the UK, Canada, Belgium and Australia. “Travelling is always an adventure, especially to non-English-speaking countries,” she told the institution. “The best thing about travelling is meeting people from other cultures and being able to connect with them despite how different you are from one another.”

Is Emma Navarro dating anyone?

Emma Navarro at the Miami Open: the young tennis player is reportedly single for now. Photo: @emma_navarro48/Instagram

So far Navarro has managed to keep her private life out of the headlines, and hasn’t hinted at dating anyone. According to one source, Sports Unfold, she’s currently single.

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