Jessica Pegula, world's richest tennis star, speaks on disparity in pay between male and female players - "I've played several joint events and I'm making significantly less"

She's the game's richest star and is worth more than Michael Jordan but Jessica Pegula isn't happy about the men's top tennis players making more money for winning tournaments than her.

The American, 28, is the daughter of billionaire Terry Pegula, who owns a host of sports teams, most notably the NFL's Buffalo Bills and NHL side Buffalo Sabres. Ranked as the 345th richest person in the world with a family net worth of £5.8 billion, fans could be forgiven for assuming prize money at LTA events is the last of his daughter's concerns.

To her credit, Pegula has forged her own path in the sport, currently ranked as the world No 3. And she got her Australian Open campaign off to flier on Monday, dropping just one game as she brushed aside Jaqueline Cristian.

The two-time tour winner also features heavily on the new Netflix series Break Point, which has been making waves among fans since it premiered last Friday. And in episode four, she's one of a number of female stars interviewed about the disparities between the men's and the women's game.

"I've played several tournaments where they're joint events and I'm making significantly less (money)," she said. "And I've had people come up to me and say 'Oh my god you won that tournament and they made that much and you made that.' You know, that's bull***t."

The Grand Slam events currently offer equal pay to both sexes, so Pegula's annoyance seems to center around lesser tournaments. Both the male and female champion in Melbourne this month will make £2.4 million each.

And following her impressive first round win down under, many will feel Pegula is in the frame for a maiden Slam title. And afterwards, the star seemed enthused about performing well in the event where she reached the last eight in 2022.

"So much fun to open up the week of the Slam on Margaret Court, I love this court," she said. "I have a slot of great memories on this court so that's really fun and yeah I mean today was one of those days where everything was just working. You just take them as they come throughout the year and I'll just try and enjoy it and get ready for the next round."

The Pegula family made their fortune through oil and gas before creating their sporting empire. The player has previously said: "I know I was more privileged than other people. I'm aware of that. I try to be very down-to-earth, and I think I am."