Emma Navarro’s preparations for the US Open are not going well.
Having failed to make it past the second round of either the Washington or Montreal Open, Navarro was eliminated in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Sunday.
In three sets, Navarro was sent home by 20-year-old German qualifier Ella Seidel who had won her first 1000 level match in the first round to set up her date with the American eighth seed.
After two hours and 10 minutes, Seidel fought back from 4-1 down in the third set to secure a first-ever top 20 win, beating Navarro 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 overall.
Seide’s win is even more shocking when considering she is ranked 125th in the world, has only two main draw appearances and no wins in tennis’ Grand Slams – and is playing in her first-ever Masters 1000 tournament.
Navarro’s loss will also be a big blow to her billionaire father, Ben Navarro, who, through his private investment firm Beemok Capital, owns the Cincinnati Open.
Navarro and her sister Margaret also lost their doubles match together on Sunday.
How much did the Cincinnati Open renovations cost?
It’s even more bitter considering that this is the first edition of the tournament since Navarro’s dad invested over $130 million in expanding and renovating the site.
Navarro, who made his fortune in debt collection and credit facilities, oversaw the upgrade of the Cincinnati Open, which cost over $260 million.
Navarro covered around half of that cost with local governments footing the rest of the bill.
Since Navarro bought the license of the Cincinnati Open in October 2022, for a reported $300 million, upgrades have desperately been needed.
For a Masters-1000 level tournament, which is just below a Grand Slam, the site was small considering it hosts ATP and WTA players at the same time.
The renovation of the tennis site was completed within a year@cincytennis The total cost of the rennovations reached over $200 million@cincytennis Navarro’s dad (r) owns the Cincinnati OpenGETTYWhat is new about the Cincinnati Open?
The site, which is called The Linder Family Tennis Center, now spans more than 40 acres, which is double the size it was in 2024.
A state-of-the-art clubhouse was designed for players to ensure they feel even more comfortable when on site.
A 16,000-square-foot fan pavilion was also built, so spectators can relax and enjoy activities.
More importantly, there are 14 new courts, meaning there are now 31 courts overall on-site at the tournament.
There is also a new Champions Court, a new 2,300-seat stadium to host even more fans for some of the biggest matches.
The impact of the renovations has been felt immediately, with the top players hailing the upgrades.
“I first came in here, I was like, ‘What’s going on? Where am I?’” Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1, said Wednesday during a pre-tournament roundtable.
“It took me a little while to feel comfortable in the previous venue, and now we’re in a completely different tournament.”
The Cincinnati Open nearly left Ohio
The Cincinnati Open is unique compared to the other five combined top-level tournaments in tennis, outside the Grand Slams.
Four of the five top ATP and WTA tournaments take place in Miami, Madrid, Rome and Toronto or Montreal (with the Canadian Open played across two cities). All of which are major international destinations
While Indian Wells is played in a luxurious resort community in Palm Springs, just outside Los Angeles.
In contrast, Navarro’s tournament in southern Ohio doesn’t even take place in Cincinnati; it happens in a town called Mason that has a population of 36,000.
Navarro had options to move the tournament with Chicago on the table, a city that has a huge tennis market.
However, Navarro’s mind changed when realising the history of the Cincinnati Open and the connection it has to the state of Ohio.
“Person after person came up to me respectfully and said, ‘I hear you’re going to be the new owner of the tournament.’ And they tell me some generational story for how much the tournament meant to them,” Navarro recalled in an interview with reporters.
” ‘I came with my father.’ ‘I took my kids.’ ‘My mom loved this tournament.’ 125 years of tradition is nothing to sneeze at, right?”
The first significant tennis tournament took place in Cincinnati in 1899, and with these latest upgrades, it could be here for another 125 years.
Action at the Cincinnati Open doesn’t stop with Emma Raducanu set to take on Aryna Sabalenka on Monday in their first meeting since their thrilling Wimbledon clash last month.
Raducanu has been riding a wave of form in recent months, a sign of momentum that should be helped after hiring Rafael Nadal’s ex-coach.
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