Coco Gauff broke a six-year drought for American women when she won the US Open in 2023. Could another American in Emma Navarro add her name to the list of US Open champions in 2024?
The possibility didn't seem especially plausible entering the year, but the breakout star has steadily improved as 2024 has progressed. She reached the third round in her Australian Open debut at the start of the year before impressive displays at both the French Open and Wimbledon.
The Olympics were another opportunity for Navarro to prove she was here to stay on the international stage, and she picked up two wins in Paris and even won her first set against eventual gold medalist Zheng Qinwen before bowing out.
The 2024 US Open already marks Navarro's best finish in a Grand Slam, as she advanced to the semifinals with a win over Spain's Paula Badosa. Can she finish the job and win an unlikely championship?
Here's what you need to know about Navarro and her background.
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Who is Emma Navarro?
Navarro is a New York-born tennis player who now lives in South Carolina. She was the nation's top-ranked recruit out of high school before landing at the University of Virginia, where she won the NCAA women's singles championship in 2021.
Navarro's college success isn't looking like any kind of aberration, as she is quickly morphing into a global star. After going a combined 1-3 in Grand Slam matches last year, Navarro enters the US Open semifinals with a 9-3 record in such matches this year. She has reached the third round or better in all four grand slams in 2024, including a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon.
In the meantime, Navarro had a performance to be proud of in Paris when she reached the third round of the Olympic women's singles tournament. She ran into the eventual gold medalist, starting strong against Zheng before ultimately taking the loss, but putting up that much of a fight was a statement of its own.
Navarro has three top-10 wins in 2024, including two in major tournaments. She took down Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells Open before knocking Gauff out of both Wimbledon and the US Open.
The path to a US Open titles requires at least one more top-10 win for Navarro, as she faces No. 2 Sabalenka in the semifinal round. But she hasn't looked intimidated to this point.
How old is Emma Navarro?
Navarro is 23 years old. She won't turn 24 until May 2025.
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Emma Navarro father
Navarro is the daughter of billionaire Ben Navarro. Ben is the CEO of Sherman Financial Group and is worth $1.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Ben Navarro has dabbled in sports as well, making a bid for the NFL's Carolina Panthers in 2018. He also owns Live to Play Tennis Club in South Carolina.
Emma Navarro net worth
Navarro has made $2.4 million in career earnings to this point, though that pales in comparison to her family's net worth.
At this rate, though, Navarro is set to earn plenty more in the months and years ahead.
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Emma Navarro Olympics results
Navarro reached the third round of the Olympics women's singles tournament in Paris.
| Round | Opponent (country) | Result |
| First | Julia Grabher (Austria) | Win (6-2, 6-0) |
| Second | Viktoriya Tomova (Bulgaria) | Win (6-7, 6-4, 6-1) |
| Third | Zheng Qinwen (China) | Loss (7-6, 6-7, 1-6) |
Navarro's loss came against the eventual Olympic champion. The 23-year-old won the first set against Zheng Qinwen and only narrowly lost the second before dropping the decisive set.
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Emma Navarro-LeBron James meme, explained
One of the highlights of Navarro's Olympics run came during the opening ceremony, when she got NBA legend LeBron James to take a selfie on the Team USA boat on the river Seine.
Navarro captioned the photo, "Smiling through it all! Can't believe this is my life," a direct reference to the very meme-able Instagram story James posted in 2018.
In fact, it was more than just a reference — Navarro's caption was identical to James' line from 2018, proving that even dedicated tennis stars have enough time to know their way around the internet.