In what was a transition period for American tennis after Serena Williams’ retirement, it is turning into a period of the golden generation. While stars like Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz have already carved a niche for themselves, players like Ben Shelton and Emma Navarro are knocking on the doors to become the best in the world. Looks like the baton has been passed on successfully to the next generation of American players, isn’t it? Well, American legend, Andy Roddick, does feel so.

The former US Open champion has been quite vocal about the impact that the young American stars are having in the tennis circuit. As the US Open swing got underway recently, Roddick heaped praise on Emma Navarro for her consistent performances this year. In a new episode of his podcast, ‘Served with Andy Roddick‘, that was released yesterday, the American legend said something that will surely leave Billionaire Cincinnati owner and father of Navarro, Ben, elated.

Roddick mentioned, “Emma Navarro would be top 10.” Navarro has had a breakthrough 2024 season, having the best results of her career in each of the 3 majors played this year. Last week, she reached the semifinal of the Canadian Open, which propelled her to a career-best ranking of Number 13 in the world. Although a title still eludes her after winning the Hobert International earlier this season, consistent performances have played a major role in her rise.

As Roddick revealed, she has a great chance to enter the top 10 of the WTA rankings with good performances in the upcoming tournaments. And what better place to do it than the Cincinnati Open, which is owned by her billionaire father. With success coming thick and fast, Navarro is keeping her feet grounded. Her family has played a big role in this regard which is crucial to her success.

Emma Navarro’s heartfelt revelation on her peers

Navarro recently represented her country at the Paris Olympic Games. She reached the third round there, losing against the eventual champion, Qinwen Zheng. Her family was there to support and cheer for her, something which she has enjoyed strongly during her career. Be it in the stadium or back home, Navarro knows that she always has the backing of her family.

During an interview ahead of her Cincinnati campaign, Navarro paid a heartfelt tribute to them, while acknowledging the fact that they help her to remain grounded. She revealed, “I just have a really great support team around me, the team that travels with me, and then also my family back home always cheering me on, so they keep me really grounded.”

Further, Navarro has also credited her father for her all-round development. Earlier this year, she said, “I got to give lot of credit to my dad, he’s he’s uh probably the smartest guy I know and he’s dropped a lot of knowledge and wisdom on my siblings and I, over the years.”

With Cincinnati being owned by Navarro’s father, she will have great support of her peers and fans at the tournament. Navarro will face Mirra Andreeva in the first-round clash later today.