Emma Navarro, the billionaire’s daughter who beat Coco Gauff at US Open – NBC New York

 Emma Navarro’s 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over defending champion Coco Gauff on the U.S. Open on Sunday earned her a visit to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive Grand Slam match.

Earlier than this 12 months’s look in New York, Navarro had by no means been previous the primary spherical at Flushing Meadows.

“I consider that I can play tennis with the perfect gamers on this planet. I should be on this stage,” Navarro mentioned. “I belong in these rounds of Grand Slams. I could make deep runs.”

Who’s Emma Navarro?

Navarro is 23, was born in New York — which she made certain to say throughout her post-match interview at Arthur Ashe Stadium — and grew up in South Carolina.

Her father, Ben, is the billionaire founder and CEO of Sherman Monetary Group. He owns the WTA Tour occasion in Charleston and tried to purchase the NFL’s Carolina Panthers in 2018.

Navarro performed school tennis on the College of Virginia and gained an NCAA singles championship for the college as a freshman in 2021.

“Once I first left school, my coach and I type of made a two-year contract that I might absolutely commit myself to enjoying skilled tennis for 2 years after which type of simply reassess after that,” mentioned Navarro, who will face Paula Badosa of Spain on Tuesday. “I feel I hit the two-year mark this June, and we didn’t even acknowledge it or speak about it. So positively have surpassed my expectations, for certain. I hope to only maintain getting higher.”

What has Emma Navarro’s progress been like not too long ago?

Navarro has been hovering up the rankings, going from No. 143 on the finish of 2022, to No. 38 on the finish of final 12 months to her present career-best No. 12. She is seeded thirteenth on the U.S. Open as a result of the seedings had been based mostly on rankings from earlier than final month’s draw.

This has been an actual breakthrough season. She is 49-19 in 2024 together with her first WTA title, which arrived on a tough court docket — the identical floor used on the U.S. Open — at Hobart, Australia, in January.

“Previously, I’ve seen selections on court docket — like taking the ball on the rise or shifting ahead to hit a forehand versus shifting again, stuff like that. These have been selections previously. Now I see these kinds of conditions as much less of a alternative and extra of, like: I’ve to take this on on this approach,” defined Navarro, who hardly ever reveals a lot emotion throughout a match. “Partially as a result of the gamers I’m enjoying in opposition to, they’ll shut it down if I don’t make that extra assured, aggressive alternative. And, additionally, simply because I feel I’ve extra perception in myself to have the ability to really execute these kinds of pictures.”

What’s Emma Navarro’s Grand Slam historical past?

The 2024 U.S. Open is barely her eighth Grand Slam match, and the second in a row the place she reached the quarterfinals through a victory over Gauff.

Navarro additionally gained their fourth-round matchup in July at Wimbledon, that point by a rating of 6-4, 6-3. Earlier on the All England Membership, Navarro additionally eradicated four-time main champion Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon.

Earlier than that displaying, which ended with a quarterfinal loss to Jasmine Paolini, Navarro’s file in majors was 6-5, together with 0-2 on the U.S. Open, the place she exited within the first spherical in 2021 and 2023.

“It’s fairly insane simply to speak about profitable a Grand Slam or profitable a match just like the U.S. Open. A couple of months in the past, even I wouldn’t have mentioned that,” Navarro mentioned. “So it’s fairly loopy to be sitting right here now and have the quarterfinals forward of me and really feel like I’m enjoying adequate to maintain it going.”

What did Coco Gauff say about Emma Navarro?

Gauff harm herself with 19 double-faults and 60 complete unforced errors, however did credit score Navarro with placing strain on her serve and displaying the identical selection as of their Wimbledon match.

“Sooner or later, I’ve to handle my serve. She’s a terrific returner. She does a terrific job with simply redirecting,” Gauff mentioned. “She’s type of an all-court participant. She will do every little thing.”

The 2 had been Olympic teammates for the USA on the Paris Video games and have become friends.

Navarro speaks about how a lot respect she has for Gauff, they usually embraced on the web after this match ended.

“She’s tremendous humorous. She’s type of the other of how she is on court docket. She has numerous character, however she doesn’t present it as a lot to you guys,” Gauff mentioned. “She’s tremendous good. I all the time root for her. It was a battle at present, however in case you needed to lose, I might somewhat lose to a very good particular person off the court docket, ?”