“He is probably the smartest guy I know,” Emma Navarro said of her father, billionaire businessman Ben Navarro, influencing her mindset. After pulling a major upset over 2023 US Open champ Coco Gauff, Emma is currently prepping for a quarterfinal match against Paula Badosa. However, the fierce competitiveness of the US Open, where she failed to go past the first round last year, does not dim her high spirits and lively nature. A surprising connection to her father may hold the key to Emma Navarro’s recent success on the tennis court.

Finishing up the round of 16 match against the defending champion, Coco Gauff, in straight sets, Emma Navarro sat down for a post-match interview. In the video posted by the US Open Tennis Championships’s YT account, a reporter highlighted Emma’s “reserved” on-court nature and “funny” off-court nature. Following which he quizzed the 23-year-old player, “Where did you get your humor? Whether parents, your [college] years in Virginia…or a stand out moment…?”

Responding to it, the former World No. 12 said, “My dad is really funny, and he has seven siblings.” Illustrating further how she saw her family of 8 have a “really cool banter” going on with each other while growing up, she added, “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.” 

Further explaining her motto on how to always find a humorous side of things by not taking things “too seriously,” she went on to add, “It helps me to be lighthearted, and obviously I care about this sport and about what I am doing. But I think nothing is worth being too serious..that you can’t laugh at yourself or laugh at or with people around you. So yeah, that’s a big part of my personality and life.”

A few days ago, Navarro’s rapping skills at the Billie Jean King Cup stage surprised fans as it garnered a lot of fans’ laughter and cheers. Although Navarro initially thought the request to write a rap was a joke, she later had to comply with the wish and show her hilarious singing talent to the world. Moreover, her funny encounter with a little fan during the 2024 French Open who refused to give her a high five out of shyness left fans in stitches! 

Navarro attributes her success to her father, who founded Credit One Bank. The bank, recognized as the “Philanthropic Business of the Year” in 2018, has instilled in Navarro valuable lessons about both tennis and life. Her opponent, Gauff, agrees to it too!

Gauff explains why she did not mind losing to Emma Navarro in the US Open

Coco Gauff’s overall 19 double faults and 60 unforced errors led her to bid adieu to the 2024 US Open. While it perhaps left a hole in her heart, as she questioned her service games, Emma Navarro’s “funny” demeanor and an embrace at the net after the match might have cheered her up later. Talking about her opponent, the 20-year-old player confessed, “She’s super funny. She is kind of the opposite of how she is on court.”

Furthermore, Gauff added, “She has a lot of personality. But she doesn’t show it as much to you guys. She is super nice. I always root for her. It was a battle today, but if you had to lose, I would rather lose to a good person off the court.”

For Emma Navarro, winning against the World No. 3 player boosted her energy and confidence, who now believes that she “deserves” to be in these rounds of the Grand Slams. As Emma continues to make waves in the tennis world, her humor and humility will undoubtedly remain key factors in her success.