One of the breakout stars of the 2024 WTA season, American Emma Navarro, has taken the tennis world by storm. After she broke into the Top 10 of the WTA rankings this season. However, what truly sets Navarro apart is not just her impressive performance on the court but her staggering net worth—a fortune greater than the combined wealth of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal.
Despite never advancing past the third round of a Grand Slam until this year, Navarro boasts a financial status that eclipses even the sport’s most iconic figures. With a career that’s just beginning to flourish, her family’s fortune, fueled by her father’s business empire, makes her one of the wealthiest athletes in the game.
Emma’s father, Ben Navarro, is a U.S. billionaire with a net worth exceeding $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. This figure towers over the combined net worth of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal, which totals less than $1 billion, according to the magazine.
Where does Navarro’s fortune come from?
Ben Navarro built his wealth through the Sherman Financial Group, which he founded in 1998. Specializing in credit card services and debt collection, Sherman Financial became a financial powerhouse. Today, Ben is also the owner of Credit One, which has issued over 18 million credit cards.
Ben Navarro, father of Emma Navarro of the United States, looks on against Coco Gauff of the United States during their Women’s Singles Fourth Round match on Day Seven of the 2024 US Open. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
His passion for tennis, passed down from Emma’s grandfather Frank Navarro, led him to purchase the prestigious Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati for a reported $300 million. Now, Emma is carrying that legacy forward on the court, achieving milestones that no one in her family had before.
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Emma Navarro’s rise in tennis
Navarro’s breakout season began with a headline-grabbing upset of Aryna Sabalenka, then ranked No. 2 in the world, at Indian Wells. It was a defining moment in her career, solidifying her as more than just a promising talent. Before that, she had already made waves in 2019 by reaching the junior Roland Garros final.
In 2024, she captured her first WTA title at the Hobart International, reached the quarterfinals in San Diego and Auckland, and built on her success with a deep run at Indian Wells.
Her crowning achievement came at the US Open, where she eliminated defending champion Coco Gauff and former World No. 2 Paula Badosa en route to the semifinals. Although her run ended there with a loss to eventual champion Sabalenka, it propelled her to a career-high ranking of World No. 8.
