Jessica Pegula reveals what she thinks of Emma Navarro's billionaire father-owned Charleston Open

Jessica Pegula has shared her experience playing at the Charleston Open, owned by Emma Navarro's father Ben Navarro. The American is through to the semifinals of the singles event this year by defeating Danielle Collins 1-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Pegula entered Charleston after a remarkable runner-up finish in Miami. She started her campaign by cruising past Iryna Shymanovich and Ajla Tomljanovic in the first few rounds and then brushed aside Collins in the quarterfinals.

The World No. 4 praised the hospitality at the Charleston Open and felt happy to be a part of the event every year. Here's what she said about the tournament owned by Emma Navarro's billionaire father Ben Navarro.

"I think the fans and just the hospitality of everything makes it feel kind of like you’re just playing at home, which I really like. So, yeah, haven’t had a ton of free time. Maybe tonight I’ll get to venture off a little bit. But it’s fun. It’s fun because we know the city so well, too," Jessica Pegula said during the on-court interview.

"I was hanging out with Jen Brady the other night, because we were just here for Madi’s wedding, which seems like not that long ago. So it feels like we were just here kind of exploring the city. So, yeah, it feels nice," She added.

Ben Navarro is the former vice president at Citigroup. He founded Sherman Financial Group in 1998 and grew it into a major business in credit cards and debt collection.

Pegula, meanwhile, is through to her third straight semifinal in Charleston. The American is yet to reach the finals of the popular clay court event. She was eliminated by Belinda Bencic in 2023 and Daria Kasatkina in 2024.

The 31-year-old will face Ekaterina Alexandrova next for a place in the final. Alexandrova has been in scintillating form so far by eliminating two of the top 10 seeds en route to the semfinal.

Here's what Pegula said about the Russian ahead of her crunch encounter:

"I think I’m going to have to be aggressive, like I said, kind of show that variety, especially on the clay against someone that’s kind of a big clean ball striker like Ekaterina. So going to have to do my best there, and then hopefully — Miami it was like three semis, then I finally made the finals. So hopefully here I can finally make the final. Third time’s a charm," Jessica Pegula said.

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Ekaterina Alexandrova leads the head-to-head battle against Jessica Pegula 2-1

Alexandrova in action at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2025 - Source: Getty

Ekaterina Alexandrova leads the head-to-head against Jessica Pegula 2-1. She defeated the American most recently in the 2025 Qatar Open 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

While Pegula edged past Collins in the quarterfinal, Alexandrova made light work of Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 6-4. The Russian is making her fifth appearance in Charleston this year.

Interestingly, Alexandrova has never beaten Pegula on clay. The American outfoxed her during their last meeting in the 2021 Italian Open 6-2, 6-4.

The winner between Pegula and Alexandrova will take on either Sofia Kenin or Amanda Anisimova in the final.