Indian Wells 2024: How Did Emma Navarro’s 92-Year-Old Grandmother Get Bitten by the Sporting Bug?

Emma Navarro is currently the talk of the town. Especially after her winning spree at the BNP Paribas Open this year. She is still undefeated at the ‘Tennis Paradise.’ After her impressive win over Elina Svitolina a few days ago, she took a moment to acknowledge her 92-year-old grandmother for showing unwavering support throughout her career. Navarro’s grandma loves sports and to be able to watch her granddaughter play must be pretty special to her.

But do you know the real reason behind her grandmother’s love for sports? Well, Emma Navarro’s grandfather, who had previously been involved with football throughout most of his life, is the main reason behind her love for sports.

“It’s really cool to just have someone like that” – Emma Navarro on her grandmother

Emma Navarro is the daughter of businessman Benjamin W. Navarro and the granddaughter of a former American football player and coach Frank Navarro. Her family’s support throughout her journey is a perfect example of how important it is to get familial support to build a career in sports. Despite being thousands of miles away from the venue, Emma Navarro’s grandmother remains the biggest cheerleader of the 22-year-old tennis star. She provides her encouragement to fight her battles on the court from afar.

What does Emma Navarro say about her granny’s love for sports? “She’s always been around the sports. My grandfather, he played football and then he coached football. You know, she loves sports. I think for her being able to see her granddaughter play is really special,” Navarro. She further went on to add that, it’s very special for herself as well to see her grandmother watch her play. Emma Navarro revealed no matter which part of the world she’s in, her grandmother would be awake to watch her play and rarely misses her game.

“Yeah, it’s really cool to just have someone like that in my corner,” Emma Navarro. Her grandmother texts her after every single match to encourage her. Talking about the person who encouraged her grandmother to showcase her love for sports. Emma Navarro said her grandfather coached college football. “He coached at Williams for a few years, Wabash for a few years, and Princeton for a little bit,” Navarro.

Frank Navarro started his playing career with the Maryland Terrapins football team in 1950 and his coaching career kicked off with the intercollegiate American football team, Columbia Lions, in 1955. But even after coming from a sporting background, Emma Navarro feels a bit “unnatural” to play in front of tons of fans.

“It’s not my natural way” – Navarro on having the spotlight upon her all the time

Shortly after her emphatic victory over Aryna Sabalenka at the R16 of Indian Wells, Emma Navarro said, “It’s a little bit unnatural for me to be in the spotlight and be playing on a court like that with a ton of fans and TVs and eyes on me. It’s not my natural way.” However, she hopes she will get accustomed to this with time.

She gave a smile and added, “But I feel I’m definitely getting more comfortable with it and just feeling like I can be myself even if there’s however many people watching. Also, I think that was my second or third fist pump ever. If it was a little weird, cut me some slack.” What are your thoughts on this incredible journey of Emma Navarro at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters? 

READ MORE: Indian Wells: Breakthrough Star Emma Navarro Narrates Heart-Warming Tribute to Grand Mother After Scripting History