Jessica Pegula at the Qatar Open. (Image: Getty Images)
While many tennis aces are accustomed to life’s finer things, Jessica Pegula is in line for sumptuousness beyond most. Ranked World No. 4 but yet to clinch a Grand Slam, the 31-year-old American sports a personal net worth of £11.6million and stands to inherit a slice of her oil magnate father Terry Pegula’s extraordinary £5.4billion fortune – ranking him as the world’s 373rd wealthiest person, according to Forbes.
Apart from Terry’s impressive business realm, the 73-year-old also owns sporting giants Buffalo Bills (NFL) and Buffalo Sabres (NHL), not to mention his jaw-dropping £58m superyacht, Top Five II, so named in anticipation of it being handed down to his five children. This vessel is nothing short of an aquatic palace, kitted out with a swimming pool, barbecue space, a sauna, jacuzzi, fire pit, and spacious cabins befitting maritime royalty.
Despite the potential for a highly comfortable life backed by her father’s wealth, Jessica has determinedly carved her own trajectory on the tennis courts, independent of her father’s significant shadow. However, she doesn’t entirely eschew the luxuries that come with her name—quite notably using the family’s private jet.
It’s not all about solo indulgence though; after triumphing at Austin’s ATX Open recently, Pegula helped her fellow tennis pros by for their next tournament. Yuan Yue was among these fortunate athletes, jubilantly praising Pegula on social media.
Pegula amazed her fellow players by offering them a lift on her private jet to save them from a nine-hour road trip. The grateful recipients included doubles finalists Yue and Zhang Shuai, who both rushed to social media to thank Pegula for her generosity.
Yue wrote: “She has invited all the players in today’s game (doubles final) to take a private plane together. Thank you so much! ! ! Otherwise, we would all have been on the road for at least nine hours tomorrow. Oh my God, how can there be such a beautiful lady?”
Jessica Pegula celebrating after winning a point (Image: Getty Images)
Zhang also expressed her gratitude online, saying: “@jpegula offering everyone who playing at the Sunday final to join her private jet, you know she can leave away right after her singles final, but she is such a selfless and generous girl. This message is NOT to show I took the jet, just wanted to appreciate and transferring the love.”
World No. 4 Pegula has consistently shown that her wealth has not diminished her drive for success, having won seven singles titles and made it to the US Open final last year.
Terry Pegula’s stunning yacht. (Image: YouTube)
Despite losing to in straight sets, she proved to herself that she has the ability to compete at the very top level, having never previously made it past the quarter-finals in a Grand Slam.
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