The two American women who reached the US Open semifinals are not only equal in tenacity and skill, they also have something else in common: They both have billionaire fathers.
On Thursday, 12th-ranked Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) player Emma Navarro, who is from the US, will face second-ranked Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka for a place in the final. On the other side of the draw, sixth-ranked Jessica Pegula, also an American, will take on Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
Navarro and Pegula’s family wealth is no secret, with Pegula previously telling Agence France Presse that she finds it “upsetting” when assumptions are made about her based on her father’s professional success.
“I did some talking to the media the other day. I said, ‘What’s the most annoying thing?'” she told the outlet. “That people think I have a butler, that I have a chauffeur, that I have a personal limo, that I go everywhere in a personal car. I’m definitely not like that.”
She also admitted that she thinks “it’s funny, because I don’t really know anybody who lives like that. It’s outrageous.”
What is the source of his father’s wealth?
Jessica’s father, Terry Pegula, made his fortune in oil and gas as the founder of East Resources. In 2010, he sold most of the company’s assets to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion, Forbes reports. He now oversees a sports empire that includes ownership of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.
according to ForbesTerry Pegula’s net worth is $7.7 billion.
Navarro also has financial resources beyond what he earns from the pro tennis circuit. His father, Ben Navarro, is the founder and CEO of Sherman Financial Group. According to Forbes, he has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion.
The financial services company purchases and services consumer loans originated from financial institutions, credit card companies and retailers. Navarro also owns the Charleston Open, a WTA Tour event.
Tennis can be very expensive, with court fees, equipment and course costs rising, and often creating barriers to entry for many young players. Although both American semifinalists may have received top-level coaching from a young age, no amount of money can buy a US Open championship.
— With a report from the Associated Press