Emma Navarro is stepping back onto familiar ground at the Cincinnati Open, and it’s not just because she’s playing in front of a home crowd. There’s a bigger layer to this story: Emma’s father, billionaire Ben Navarro, actually owns the tournament. Back in October 2022, his family’s investment firm, Beemok Capital, took over the Western & Southern Open from the USTA. The Navarros also own the Charleston Open, where Emma first made her mark on the pro circuit in 2019. With all that history and hometown energy, a Cincinnati title for Emma would be the ultimate full-circle moment. Her campaign kicks off this Sunday, but who’s standing in her way? Let’s find out.

Emma Navarro’s first-round opponent, Ella Seidel, hailing from Hamburg, Germany, is a rising force known for her aggressive baseline game and fierce determination. At just 20 years old, she’s steadily making her way up the WTA rankings, currently sitting at No. 124, with a career-high of No. 109 already under her belt. This year, Seidel has put together a solid 27-21 win-loss record, according to the WTA, proving she’s more than just a promising name on the list.

Her path to the Cincinnati Open main draw was anything but easy. Seidel battled through qualifying rounds, defeating Varvara Lepchenko and Priscilla Hon to earn her spot in the main draw. She then notched her first-ever main draw win at a WTA 1000 event by defeating Polina Kudermetova in the opening round, a significant milestone in her young career. Emma Navarro, who has received a bye, will begin her campaign from the second round. The two have never crossed paths on the pro circuit before. Their upcoming match in Cincinnati will be their first meeting, making it all the more exciting and unpredictable.

The year 2025 has been somewhat of a breakthrough for Seidel. She made waves at the Transylvania Open in February, reaching the quarterfinals after impressive wins over eighth seed Jaqueline Cristian and Anna Blinkova, before falling to top seed and eventual champion Anastasia Potapova. She also earned her Wimbledon main draw debut this year, but what should have been a career highlight turned into an unfortunate setback.

When Emma Navarro’s opponent Ella Seidel suffered an unfortunate setback at Wimbledon

During her first-round match at Wimbledon against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Seidel suffered a freak accident. While trailing 6-3, 3-2, she slipped into an unmarked ditch behind the baseline, hidden beneath a backscreen that didn’t reach the ground. This resulted in her twisting her ankle and not being able to continue the match. The injury was as painful as the moment itself, cutting short her Wimbledon dream and costing her nearly $39,000 in prize money. The incident sparked outrage among fans who felt the court conditions were unsafe.

Seidel took to Instagram afterward, writing, “Not the end I wished for my first Wimbledon main draw💔 Tough one to take but still proud how I competed this week.” Since then, the German has played only one event, a 125k tournament in Warsaw, where she made it to the quarterfinals but again had to retire mid-match, hinting that the injury might still be bothering her.

Meanwhile, Emma Navarro, after winning her first WTA 500 title at the Merida Open this year, has struggled to maintain that winning form. Recent results have seen the World No. 11 exit earlier than hoped, with a fourth-round loss in Washington, D.C., and a second-round departure at the Canadian Open.

With both players at different points in their seasons — Navarro fighting to reclaim momentum at home, and Seidel pushing past recent setbacks — Sunday’s first-round match promises to be a compelling battle. Will the home favorite’s experience prevail, or will Seidel’s fierce resilience and hunger for a breakthrough steal the show?