In a surprising turn of events at the Cincinnati Open, billionaire heiress Emma Navarro, seeded eighth, suffered an early exit after being defeated by German qualifier Ella Seidel. The match, lasting two hours and ten minutes, ended with Seidel winning 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, allowing her to progress to the third round of the tournament.
Seidel, ranked No. 125 in the world and competing in her first WTA 1000 event, fought through qualifying to earn her place in the main draw of this key preparation tournament leading up to the US Open.
The match began with Seidel breaking Navarro’s serve on her first opportunity, taking the opening set 6-4 while fending off several break points. Navarro replied strongly in the second set, dominating with five consecutive games to level the match. However, she struggled to maintain her momentum in the final set, initially leading 4-1, only to lose five consecutive games to hand Seidel the victory. This win is notable as it marks Seidel’s first triumph over a top-20 player.
The defeat is particularly disappointing for Navarro, whose father, Ben Navarro, has invested over $300 million in the Cincinnati tournament. He acquired it through his investment firm, Beemok Capital, and has contributed significantly to its upgrades since purchasing it in October 2022. Furthermore, Navarro and her sister Margaret were eliminated from the doubles competition a day earlier.
With this early exit, Navarro’s form is in question; she heads into the US Open having won only one match out of four since returning to hardcourts. Seidel, meanwhile, is set to face another American competitor, McCartney Kessler, in the next round. In further tournament action, fellow American heiress Jessica Pegula successfully advanced after defeating Australian Kimberly Birrell with a score of 6-4, 6-3.