"Asked them for a more humble nickname but they weren't having it": Jessica Pegula dubbed 'rich woman' in China whether she likes it or not

During a recent appearance on The Players Box podcast, Jessica Pegula shared a hilarious story about the latest twist in her growing popularity among Chinese tennis fans — a new nickname that’s taken on a life of its own: “Dafu.”

“It basically means ‘Rich Woman,’” Pegula laughed. “We were in the lounge today, and a fan came up to me like, ‘Dafu! Dafu!’ And I’m sitting there thinking, I don’t even know if I’m saying it right, but they literally just call me that now. That’s my name. I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll sign.’”

The world No. 6 said she tried to lobby for something a bit more modest. “I asked them for a more humble nickname,” she joked, “but they weren’t having it. They’re very straight to the point.”

Pegula said that Chinese fans have a special knack for finding quirky details about players and turning them into affectionate running jokes. “Everybody has all these different nicknames,” she explained. “I don’t know if they do research or just look for funny moments, but they find stuff.”

She recalled one particularly random example from her last trip to Asia. “I had press after one of my matches, and one of the guys — I don’t know if it was for Weibo or Red Note or one of the big Chinese social media sites — asked this fan question: ‘There was a video of you tying your shoes, and it took you 30 seconds to tie each one. Can you tell us why it takes you so long to tie your shoes?’”

Pegula couldn’t believe it. “I was like, first of all, what? You timed me? Where is that video? I haven’t even seen that video! It was so random. They literally know everything you do.”

But far from being put off, Pegula finds it endearing. “They’re so in tune with the players they like,” she said. “And they give so many gifts — like, they’ll bring a whole suitcase of things, all really personalized. It’s so sweet. It’s definitely one way to get your attention!”

The generosity and creativity don’t stop at nicknames. Fans have also started assigning animals to players. “They’ve been picking animals too,” Pegula said. “I think Amanda [Anisimova] always gets pandas. They’re trying to find an animal for Coco [Gauff], but I don’t know if she ever got one.”

As for Pegula herself? “They gave me a capybara,” she laughed. “A giant stuffed one. They said it’s because capybaras are chill and calm. I actually have it in my suitcase over there.”

According to Pegula, these nicknames and spirit animals are non-negotiable. “They just tell you what you are — what your nickname is, what your animal is — and that’s that. You are a capybara. That’s who you are now. There’s not much negotiation.”

Despite the literal translation of Dafu as “rich woman,” Pegula said fans have explained that the nickname is meant as a compliment. “One lady told me it doesn’t translate exactly like that,” she said. “I was like, but it kind of does! And she’s like, ‘Well, it’s not mean — it’s more like bountiful, abundant.’”

“I guess she’s basically saying, ‘We’re just stating facts. Live with it. Move on,’” Pegula laughed. “So I’m leaning into it.”

The joke has even spread to other players with Emma Navarro also catching strays as she is also dubbed a billionaire player and also has a lesser nickname. “Emma Navarro is ‘Arfu,’ which is supposed to mean ‘smaller rich woman,’” Pegula said with a grin. “I’m not kidding.”

Her podcast co-host Jenny Brady joked that at least she’s not “poor woman.” Pegula burst out laughing. “I mean, you’re not wrong,” she said. “But imagine being called ‘poor woman.’ That would be so bad.”