Emma Navarro burst onto the national tennis scene in 2024. She reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, then made it to the semifinals at the US Open. These big wins pushed her ranking up to world number 8. The WTA even gave her the Most Improved Player of the Year award.
But Navarro is more than just a rising tennis star. She’s also the daughter of billionaire businessman and giver, Ben Navarro. People often talk about her being a billionaire’s heir. Still, Emma always points to her family as the source of her strong work ethic. That drive helped her reach the top ranks of professional tennis.
"We grew up in a very traditional way," she shared with Town & Country in a July 2025 interview. "We would wake up at 6 AM on a Saturday to go play tennis." She added, "Growing up, it was a priority that we learned to be strong, to have a work ethic, and to be intentional, purposeful, and live a productive life. So I don’t like being called the daughter of someone with a lot of money. It’s a label I don’t like." As Navarro keeps making her own way in tennis, let’s take a closer look at her family.
Ben Navarro
Ben Navarro Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Ben Navarro started and runs the private investment company, Beemok Capital. Forbes estimates his wealth at over $4 billion. Thanks to his daughters Emma and Meggie, who are both talented tennis players, he has even grown his business empire to include tennis courts. He owns the Live To Play Tennis Club in South Carolina. He also owns Charleston Tennis LLC, which runs the Charleston Open.
His company, Beemok Sports & Entertainment, bought the Cincinnati Open in 2022. This happened three years before Emma and Meggie played together in that same tournament. Emma credits her dad for helping her improve her tennis game from a young age.
"I have to give a lot of credit to my dad," she told Tennis Channel in a 2025 interview. "He’s probably the smartest man I know. Over the years, he has passed on so much knowledge and wisdom to my siblings and me." She added, "He has taught me a lot about the perspective I need to have."
Kelly Navarro
Emma’s mother, Kelly Navarro, generally keeps a low profile. However, Emma shined a light on her mom’s role in a 2021 story for Charleston Magazine. She called Kelly "the woman behind the scenes who makes everything happen." Fans often spot Kelly sitting courtside with her husband at many of Emma’s matches.
Meggie Navarro
Meggie followed in her older sister’s footsteps. She’s a senior at Virginia, where she plays on the tennis team. Meggie has also made the academic All-ACC team twice. She made her WTA debut in 2025, playing doubles with Emma at the Cincinnati Open. The pair lost their first match.
Earl and Owen Navarro
Emma’s two older brothers, Earl and Owen, live more private lives. But Emma talked about them in a 2024 piece for WTA Tennis. "Maybe I was a little mean to my brothers sometimes as a kid," she shared. "I wasn’t really bossy, but I think I had a lot of energy when I was little and maybe sometimes I took it out on my brothers."