Billionaire Daughters Pegula, Navarro Advance To U.S. Open Quarterfinals

[LessAspin]

As someone who grew up playing hockey, baseball, swimming, golf, tennis.. it's interesting to see how elitist most of these have become. Without the money and means to join club and travel teams it becomes hard to reach a level that most of the top athletes achieve.

That said I'm still a huge fan of all of it

Forbes has a piece on Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro

KEY FACTS

The sixth-ranked Pegula, 30, who defeated Diana Schnaider in straight sets, is the daughter of Buffalo Bills owner and Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula.

No. 13 Emma Navarro, 23, the daughter of former Citigroup vice president Ben Navarro, advanced to the U.S. Open quarterfinals after defeating third-ranked Coco Gauff on Sunday in three sets.

Pegula plays the winner of the fourth-round match between top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia on Tuesday, while Navarro is slated to face No. 26 Paula Badosa of Spain.

It’s the seventh time Pegula has made the quarterfinals in one of the four majors in her career, though she has never advanced further...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/09/02/billionaire-daughters-pegula-navarro-advance-to-us-open-quarterfinals/

Link to tweet

[spooky3]

1. They are great. Another interesting story is Frances Tiafoe's, whose

parents immigrated here from Sierra Leone, with next to nothing. Frances will play Taylor Fritz in one semi final match Friday.

[LessAspin]

3. Canadian Open

I follow Tiafoe on twitter. What an interesting guy. He doesn't have the size or power of other Americans like Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton.. but he plays his butt off.

I cut the cord on my cable several years ago so when work takes me out of town I always watch the Golf and Tennis channels. So last year I got to see Jessica Pegula win the Canadian Open. She has been on a roll for a while now. In doubles and mixed doubles too.

[Jeebo]

2. I think Pegula has become a tennis star on her own merits.

I know she's a rich girl who has led a privileged life, and to tell the truth, I used to kinda resent her a little because of that, but I don't any more. Wealth and privilege don't necessarily preclude success in life on one's own merits. I watched the Gauff-Navarro match the other day but didn't realize she was a rich girl too. I'm not going to hold that against either Pegula or Navarro. I wish them both well. I am glad that the U.S. Open women's champion this year is going to be a first-time winner of that tournament. I always like when that happens. Spread the wealth around. Sabalenka, Muchova, Navarro or Pegula. Sabalenka is a two-time Grand Slam champion, but she has never won this particular Grand Slam.

-- Ron

[LessAspin]

4. Pegula

Totally agree .. like I posted above I watched Jessica Pegula win the Canadian Open last year. She is easy to root for and a real fighter.

[displacedvermoter]

5. Maybe she'll donate her winnings to a

homeless shelter?

[hlthe2b]

7. I AM... Unapologetically.

I remember the inner city kids Arthur Ashe set up his Richmond training program to assist. It is THEY (and players with histories similar) that I will root for--not spoiled billionaire's spawn)

You think it unfair to this woman who has had every opportunity available to make her the player she is today? I say it is unfair to all the struggling, hard-working players who never ad a SINGLE advantage. Unfair? I don't give a damn. $$$$$$ should not rule all.

[Jeebo]

10. Wealth and privilege only give you so much of an advantage.

To be one of the best on the planet in any sport, you still have to put in a LOT of hard work. I don't think we should be unappreciative of those accomplishments just because somebody happened to have been born into a wealthy family.

-- Ron

[ProfessorGAC]

9. An Extra Angle

I actually have some respect for these rich kids who, despite not needing to worry about wealth accumulation ever, they still are willing to put in the massive amount of work to reach the top in their field.
I started thinking about someone like Steph Curry. His dad was a 12 year NBA player with a TV job. His mom was a local TV personality. No worries about money, at all.
Yet, he put in the work to become a revolutionary player, and inarguably one of the greatest shooters ever. Arguably, the beat. And, he kept getting better even after he had made his money.
There's something admirable about that type of focus.
In contrasts directly to a lazy, self-centered rich kid who never worked a day in his life, then accidentally became POTUS.

[LessAspin]

11. Julia Louis-Dreyfus

That's where I am with this too. I appreciate someone like Julia Louis-Dreyfus who could have sat back and counted the billion$ her family has but became successful in her own right.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is not only talented but but seems to be a really good person too.

Steph Curry was a great example. Here's an interesting 2 minute video I found a few months ago where Dell Curry speaks to the work Steph put in.

[hlthe2b]

6. I can't... I remember the days of Arthur Ashe and other "regular Americans" that worked their way up

Last edited Thu Sep 5, 2024, 07:47 AM - Edit history (1)

sans billionaire parents or benefactors. I will root against these women--always. Sorry. I do not want billionaires to take over all sport.

[LessAspin]

8. Navarro

NYTimes/Athletic with Emma Navarro

Link to tweet