Yahoo News Emma Navarro's Dad, Ben, Is a Billionaire
American tennis player Emma Navarro is on a dream U.S. Open run, reaching her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal—joining fellow billionaire heiress Jessica Pegula to reach this round of the tournament. Navarro faces a tough path to the finals, facing off against world no. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, but no matter what happens tonight, her parents will be there to cheer her on.
Here, get to know Emma Navarro's parents Ben and Kelly Navarro:
Meet Ben Navarro
Ben, 60, grew up in New England; he's the son of Frank Navarro, a famous college football coach. Ben graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in finance. He worked at Chemical Bank, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, and in 1998, he founded Sherman Financial Group. Forbes now calls it a "credit card and debt collection empire," and estimates his net worth at around $1.5 billion.
He also owns two tennis tournaments: the Charleston Open and the Western & Southern Open (also known as the Cincinnati Open). "As a fan, father, and business owner, tennis has brought so much to our family. Junior tennis has provided a place for our children to learn a work ethic, develop friendship through shared struggle, and learn to handle disappointment, defeat, and sometimes even unfairness," he told the Post and Courier in 2019.
Emma thanks her dad for her tennis success. "I gotta give a lot of credit to my dad. He's probably the smartest guy I know, and has dropped a lot of knowledge and wisdom on my siblings and I over the years. He's taught me a bunch about the perspective I need to take," she told the Tennis Channel earlier this year.
After winning her quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open, Emma also shouted him out, saying, "I wanna also thank my dad. I think he saw a vision from the time I was really young. He knew maybe I was a bit ADHD or something to be a sitting in a classroom or a 9 to 5. He saw something in me from a young age. So thanks, Dad, for sending me on this journey."
Meet Kelly Navarro
Kelly is a much more private person than her husband, but Emma calls her "the behind-the-scenes lady who makes everything happen."
She made news in 2020 when she and her husband launched a new college scholarship fund for Charleston students called the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund. "Students who worked hard to be ready for college deserve to be supported in reaching their dreams," the Navarros said in a statement. "We are excited to help thousands of Charleston County students on their path to earning a college degree."
Kelly and Ben have four children: Emma, Meggie, Earl, and Owen.
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