Tennis players are made on the court, or so the myth goes. But what if the real secret to success is far from the baseline? For Emma Navarro, an American tennis star, the unlikely key to her success was forged on two wheels, not in a tennis academy. The proof? She can outlast anyone in three setters. Case in point: today’s 2 hours, 1 minute battle against three time Grand Slam finalist, Ons Jabeur which ended 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

For Emma Navarro, where does this resilience to outlast players in the three setter comes from? But the answer isn’t found in intense training sessions or mental toughness exercises, but from her father Ben Navarro. Reflecting on it in the post match press conference, Navarro said,”I attribute that resilience to my upbringing. My dad (Ben Navarro) used to take my siblings and me on long bike rides and hikes. We even coined the term ‘biking and crying’ because we’d be so exhausted after six hours of riding uphill.”

Those long bike rides with her dad, Ben Navarro, growing up played a big role in instilling grit and endurance, but there’s more to the billionaire dad’s influence than just family fitness adventures.

Ben Navarro, a self-made billionaire and founder of Sherman Financial Group with a net worth of $1.5 billion as of July 2024, according to Forbes, has merged his business savvy with his love of tennis. As the owner of the Charleston Open where Emma Navarro made her WTA debut, he turned the tournament into a player focused event. Asked about her dad’s impact, Emma told Tennis Channel in 2024, “I have to give a lot of credit to my dad. 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.” But it’s not all discipline.

Emma credits her sense of humor and lightness to growing up in their crazy family of eight. In a US Open interview last year she said, “My dad is really funny, and he has seven siblings” and“I think I get my humor from him and I think it is important to not take yourself too seriously and not the things too seriously,” she added.

Emma Navarro isn’t the only WTA player to be outspoken about her father’s influence on her career. Many current and former stars around the tennis world cite their dads as the reason. The father of Serena and Venus Williams, Richard, coached them as children, paving the way. Similarly, Naomi Osaka’s father, Leonard Francois, became her coach and took her through pivotal moments. Corey Gauff, Coco Gauff’s father, is her biggest supporter, and has coached her. Meanwhile, Sofia Kenin’s dad, Alex, sacrificed tirelessly, driving her to late-night practices to nurture her talent.

Fast facts: Emma Navarro’s toughness doesn’t just show up in her 23-9 record in three-setters since 2024; it’s all over her journey as one of the most improved players on the WTA Tour. From fighting her way into the top 100 in April 2023 to ending 2023 at No. 38 and 2024 at No. 8, Emma finished 2024 where she deserved to be.

For Emma Navarro, after dominating Ons Jabeur in the third round, she faces a new challenge in the form of No.10 seed Daria Kasatkina.

Emma Navarro braces for pre-quarters showdown against Daria Kasatkina

Emma Navarro has achieved a career-best at the Australian Open 2024 after reaching the fourth round. The match was a show of Navarro’s calm under pressure, forcing the decider after being tested by Jabeur’s unpredictable shot-making. “I just wanted to stick in there, keep believing in myself,” Navarro reflected. “If I put myself in the best position to do what I want to do, maybe I’d come out on top.”

Emma Navarro’s fourth-round opponent at the Australian Open, Daria Kasatkina, is also living her best-ever Australian Open moment, as she charges into the last 16 for the first time in her career. Kasatkina turned what seemed like an uphill battle into a winning show, triumphing 7-5, 6-1 over No.24 seed Yulia Putintseva in her third round showdown.

Navarro and Kasatkina weren’t the only Top 10 players to seal a spot in the fourth round during Saturday’s day session.

Poland’s No.2 seed, Iga Swiatek, came out blazing against Britain’s Emma Raducanu. There was no holding back as Swiatek delivered a near-perfect display, overpowering Raducanu 6-1, 6-0. Pole was in control from the first serve to the final point and left Raducanu with little room to retaliate.

Meanwhile, No.6 seed Elena Rybakina had her own battle on Saturday. She fought hard against Dayana Yastremska after showing mid-match injury timeout to examine her lower back. But that wasn’t enough to stop Rybakina, who rebounded to seal the win in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.