'My dad just kind of got all of us into it' - Billionaire tennis player Emma Navarro gets candid on her origins in the sport

Although several athletes harbor financial motivation to succeed in their profession, that may not be the case for American tennis star Emma Navarro. The 24-year old has experienced a meteoric rise on the WTA circuit, and the potential prize money has little to do with it.

The World No.11 is the daughter of Ben Navarro, a billionaire who founded Sherman Financial Group. Nonetheless, her affluent background has little to do with her success, as she has reached at least the fourth round of every Grand Slam tournament in addition to breaking into the top 10.

Raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Navarro played collegiate tennis at the University of Virginia. The tennis phenom won the NCAA singles championships in 2021, and later became the first women's singles NCAA champion to reach the US Open semifinals, when she did so in 2024.

Navarro has become a staple among the top players on tour, winning two WTA singles titles in her short career. After reaching a career-high ranking of World No.8 last year, Navarro was named Most Improved Player of the Year by the WTA in 2024.

Tennis has always been a part of her family life, says Navarro

Born in New York City, Navarro returns to her roots to compete at the US Open. The 10th seed defeated compatriot Caty McNally in the second round on Wednesday, and will face two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova for a spot in the round of 16.

Prior to the start of the US Open, Navarro spoke about first picking up a racket on a Southern Saturday morning with her dad and two older brothers. She has been in love with the sport ever since, but opted to go to college to figure out what she wanted from life.

"My dad just kind of got all of us into it," said Navarro. "I think he realized how important the lessons you learn through sports are. It took me going to college to realize that a more traditional path is probably not for me."

Although Navarro has ties to New York, she admits to identifying more with South Carolina as Charleston is where she was raised.

"At this point, I kind of see myself as as fully Charleston," admitted the World No.11. "I don't spend a ton of time in New York. We spent Christmases there for the first probably 20 years of my life, and we try to get up there a couple times a year at least, but now I'm traveling so much that it's hard to make time to go anywhere for fun anymore. So yeah, Charleston is definitely home."