Emma Navarro reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time after coming from 1-5 down in the second set to beat Paula Badosa at the US Open.
After winning the U.S. Open, Emma Navarro gave tribute to her father
Following an incredible comeback to earn a berth in the U.S. Open semifinal, Emma Navarro asked for a unique time to be dedicated to her father during her on-court interview.
By winning the final six games to secure a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over Paula Badosa, the 13th seed demonstrated her tenacity.
Ben Navarro, the father of Navarro, is a well-known figure in the tennis industry. Forbes reports that he is worth $1.5 billion and owns major events like the Cincinnati Open. Navarro, a former collegiate athlete who recently turned pro, is making history at her home Grand Slam by making it to the semifinals for the first time.
Navarro thanked her coach, with whom she has worked since her early teens, profusely in front of the boisterous Arthur Ashe Stadium, highlighting the effort they have both put in.
“It has great meaning for me. We’ve been together for eight years now, my coach and I, and we’ve accomplished a lot of amazing work together since I think I was 14 or 15 years old,” she remarked. “So thank you for everything you do, your dedication to this journey, and developing me into the player I am,” she continued.
Rennae Stubbs, the interviewer, tried to go on to the next question, but Navarro interrupted, anxious to acknowledge her father’s support as well. She asked, “Can I say one more thing?” Stubbs answered, “You can say whatever you want.”
Navarro continued by expressing her gratitude to her father, recognizing his long-standing faith in her abilities: “I want to thank my dad as well because I believe he saw a vision from the time I was very small.
“I think he saw something in me from a young age, and he knew that I might be a little bit ADHD or something to be sitting in a classroom or in a nine to five.” I’m grateful that my father sent me on this adventure.”
“Yeah, after I got it back to 5-2 I kind of had a little inkling that it might be two sets and I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there and even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to kind of set the tone for the third set,” she said, reflecting on her performance and ability to rally for a 5-1 deficit in the second set.
“I’m just so thrilled with how I played today, and I can’t believe I’m going to the US Open semifinals, baby!”
