What happens when two American billionaires’ daughters meet in a Grand Slam quarter-final?
Apparently, you get what the internet has dubbed the “richest match in tennis history”, at least if you go by the family fortunes behind the two players.
A LinkedIn post by entrepreneur and IIM alumnus Ujwal Sutaria brought attention to the striking numbers after Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro met in the US Open quarter-finals. Pegula’s father, Terry Pegula, is worth an estimated USD 11.8 billion, while Navarro’s father, Ben Navarro, is estimated to be worth around USD 3.2 billion. Combined, that puts the family fortunes behind the two players at roughly USD 15 billion.
Of course, “richest match in tennis history” is not an official record. It is a fun way of looking at a rather extraordinary coincidence. And the numbers become even more eye-catching when you consider that Pegula and Navarro were not merely two wealthy families represented on Arthur Ashe Stadium, they were two top-level tennis players fighting for a place in a Grand Slam semi-final.
Pegula, ranked No. 3 in the world, and Navarro, ranked No. 27, had met four times before their US Open clash. Pegula had won all four. Their fifth meeting was also their first at a Grand Slam, and once again Pegula came out on top, recovering from a set down to beat Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The result sent Pegula into the US Open semi-finals for a third consecutive year.
For Pegula, 32, another deep run in New York was further evidence of the consistency that has made her one of the leading players on the WTA Tour. She reached the US Open final in 2024 and has repeatedly found herself in the latter stages of the biggest tournaments, even as the Grand Slam title continues to elude her.
She would fall short again.
Pegula lost to Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 6-2 in the semi-final on Thursday, ending another impressive run without the major trophy she has been chasing. Sabalenka advanced to the final, while Pegula’s wait for a first Grand Slam title continued.
Navarro, meanwhile, was already familiar with the sharp end of the US Open. The 25-year-old reached the semi-finals in 2024 and returned to the quarter-finals this year, underlining her ability to compete with the biggest names in the women’s game. She has also risen as high as No. 8 in the world.
The family connections make the story even more unusual.
THE BILLIONAIRE FATHERS
Terry Pegula built his fortune in oil and gas before becoming a major figure in American sport as the owner of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. Ben Navarro built his wealth through businesses including Credit One Bank and Sherman Financial Group, before becoming increasingly involved in tennis. His Beemok Sports group owns the Cincinnati Open, while he also owns the Credit One Charleston Open.
In Navarro’s case, her father is himself a significant figure in the tennis world.
But none of that helped when the match began.
Pegula still had to recover from a set down. Navarro still had to fight for every game. And when Pegula reached the semi-finals, she had to take on Sabalenka before her latest run finally ended.
The USD 15 billion figure makes for a remarkable headline. But once the first ball was struck, the fortunes behind the players mattered considerably less than the numbers on the scoreboard.
– Ends
