Jessica Pegula aims to debunk nepo baby claims after World's Richest Tennis Player tag: "But that didn't happen until I was 17 or 18"

WTA
Monday, 15 January 2024 at 21:48
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Jessica Pegula revealed in the new season of Break Point that despite being part of a wealthy family, this did not happen until she was older. The American is the daughter of magnate Terry Pegula, who is in the oil business and owns the Buffalo Bills in the NFL and the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL.

Pegula opened up about being labeled as the richest tennis player in the world and acknowledged that many people think she was handed everything easily to be in the top of the tennis world: “My dad wasn’t born with a lot of money,” world No. 3 said.

“Some people get this image that it’s really easy for me” – Jessica Pegula

Her mother, Kim Pegula, is the CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, and President of both the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, but she was not always wealthy: “My mom was left on a doorstep and adopted from South Korea. I guess it was kind of the American Dream.”

“Some people get this image that it’s really easy for me, because my dad’s very wealthy, but that didn’t happen until I was 17 or 18. I was a later bloomer -- definitely a late bloomer.”

The 29-year-old American finished in the top 5 for the second consecutive year in 2023. While experiencing a great moment on the court in 2022, Pegula faced a tough period in mid-year when her mother was hospitalized in Florida due to a cardiac arrest after a 'brain injury' and suffered 'significant memory issues.

“She’s a great fighter. I always feel like this is her biggest thing she taught me. If she’s home, fighting through what she went through, I can deal with going to play a tennis tournament,” Pegula added.

Pegula’s next goal

he 29-year-old tennis player met with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and head coach Sean McDermott in the Netflix Break Point episode and addressed the entire team: 'I want to win a Grand Slam,' she tells them. 'You want to win a Super Bowl. Trying to be great is hard. If it was easy, everybody would do it,' said the current world No. 5.

Pegula has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam six times in her career but has yet to break through to the final four of a major. Her journey begins on Tuesday, January 16, when she faces Canadian Rebecca Marino at the Margaret Court Arena.

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