Tennis Star Emma Navarro Reveals What She Thinks About Getting Labeled a 'Billionaire's Daughter'

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16 hours ago

Emma Navarro addresses the focus on her family's background
The 24-year-old is the daughter of billionaire Ben Navarro
Navarro won her first two matches and will next play in the third round of Wimbledon Championships on July 5Tennis star Emma Navarro is ranked 10th in the world with an NCAA championship and several quarter and semifinal Grand Slam finishes to her name — but too often for her liking, the focus is on her father's name, and his status as a billionaire.
Navarro, 24, has cruised through her first two matches at the Wimbledon Championships, defeating Veronika Kudermetova and veteran Petra Kvitova both in straight sets.
She's on to the third round — something most other American players cannot say as the Wimbledon carnage continues this week — but chatter about Navarro frequently focuses on her father, who runs Sherman Financial Group and is worth an estimated $4.8 billion.
Navarro opened up about the "label" she often gets of a "billionaire's daughter" in an interview with U.K. outlet Tatler, just before the start of Wimbledon.
Navarro explained her gripe with the subject: 'I don't love being referred to as whoever with however much money's daughter. It's a label I don't really like.'
Navarro, who won the NCAA Singles Championship in 2021 as a member of the University of Virginia's tennis team, told Tatler her background does not mean she didn't work hard to rise through the challenging WTA tour.
'I didn't grow up being handed things. We grew up in a sort of traditional way. We'd get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning and go play tennis," the former Cavalier said. "Growing up it was a priority that we learnt toughness and we learnt work ethic.'
While Ben was involved in Navarro's tennis development from a young age, her mother Kelly provided a reprieve from the game, Navarro said, calling her, 'the rock of the family."
Despite the unique quality of Navarro's background, she is not the only American female tennis player from a billionaire background.
The current No. 3 ranked player, Jessica Pegula, is the daughter of Terry Pegula, who owns the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres and boasts a net worth of $7.6 billion.
Pegula, who reached the finals of the US Open last September, was eliminated from Wimbledon in a shocking upset on Tuesday by Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who is ranked No. 116.
Navarro, meanwhile, will continue on at Wimbledon — but with a tough matchup coming down the pike.
The American plays 16th-ranked Barbora Krejčíková, who is defending her Wimbledon title from last year, on Saturday.
Read the original article on People