Coco Gauff must beat daughter of multi-billionaire to keep Wimbledon dream alive
Coco Gauff and Emma Navarro will face off in the fourth round of Wimbledon, with the American stars sharing an intriguing link off the court as well as on it.
Two high-profile figures of the tennis world are set to clash in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon, as No. 19 Emma Navarro aims to topple second-ranked Coco Gauff. Navarro, the daughter of American tycoon Ben Navarro and potential heiress to a staggering $3 billion fortune, is nonetheless recognised by Gauff for her formidable tennis skills.
"Just growing up with her, I always knew she was very talented and knew her game would translate well on tour, I think she has a very all-court game," Gauff said of Navarro. "Playing her is going to be a tough match. She's had some good wins this tournament. I don't expect it to be easy."
Despite her superior ranking and more extensive experience, Gauff is actually younger than her opponent, having made her WTA Tour debut in March 2019 at the tender age of 15. The Georgia-born starlet has rapidly ascended the ranks of the tennis world, reaching her first Grand Slam final in Paris two years ago and making it to the semi-finals in her last three major tournaments, including a triumphant 2023 US Open victory.
In addition to her sporting prowess, Gauff has also made a name for herself in the fashion industry, signing her first contract with New Balance at just 14 and launching her own signature shoe line with the brand in 2022. "I really do love fashion," Gauff told the press.
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"I love makeup. I love that type of thing. I just haven't really thought about how I would build that into a brand, per se." Gauff has wowed fans with her style, reflecting the chic "tenniscore" aesthetic, a fashion move that inspired New Balance's basketball starlet Cameron Brink to emulate Gauff's look at a recent WNBA game.
She remarked on the homage, "It was really cool," adding in her chat with ESPN, "I haven't got the chance to meet Cameron yet, but obviously [I've] been watching her a lot when she was at Stanford and now seeing her in the WNBA is great, and I definitely want to try to catch a game... I wasn't expecting it, and it was very nice of her. I think she rocked the fit better than anybody could have."
Meanwhile, newcomer and Italian-American Emma Navarro is proving her mettle on the pro-tennis circuit while honouring an impressive family legacy steeped in sports; her grandfather was a celebrated football coach and her father a successful businessman. Raised on Charleston's courts, Navarro cut her teeth in tennis, though she temporarily swapped the professional pathway for a university career at Virginia, even snagging an NCAA Championship in her first year.
Forgoing further collegiate competition, Navarro ascended the WTA ranks swiftly, last week achieving a career-high rank of No. 17 after notably dispatching Aryna Sabalenka en route to the elite WTA 1000.