Emma Navarro thanks billionaire dad after reaching US Open semifinals

Emma Navarro thanked her billionaire father after advancing to the US Open semifinals. The 23-year-old player secured her first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal after an epic comeback victory over Paula Badosa (26th seed).

The American easily won the first set 6-2 but found herself down 1-5 in the second. Navarro then elevated her game, winning six consecutive games to secure the win: "It means so much to me. My coach and I, we've been together since I think I was 14 or 15, so it's been eight years now, and we've done a lot of great work together," Navarro said in the on-court interview.

"So thank you for everything you do, your dedication to this journey, and making me into the player I am."

The on-court interviewer, Rennae Stubbs, was about to ask her next question when Navarro interrupted: "Can I say one more thing?" the 23-year-old player asked. "You can say whatever you want," Stubbs responded.

"I also want to thank my dad because I think he saw a vision from the time I was really young," Navarro said. "He knew maybe I was a little bit ADHD or something to be sitting in a classroom or in a nine-to-five, and I think he saw something in me from a young age. So thanks, dad, for sending me on this journey."

Ben Navarro, her father, has a net worth of around $1.5 billion according to Forbes and owns several professional tennis tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open as the owner of Credit One Bank.

Navarro also commented on her feelings during the match as she mounted the comeback: "Yeah, after I got it back to 5-2, I kind of had a little bit of an inkling that it might be two sets, and I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there. Even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to kind of set the tone for the third set," she added.

"Just really happy with my performance today, and crazy to be moving onto the semifinals, US Open baby!"