Top things you did not know about U.S. tennis star Jessica Pegula
Olympics.com takes a look at some curious facts about Jessica Pegula who is making waves at the 2023 WTA Tour Finals in Cancun. Did you know that her parents own the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres?
Tennis
Don't call U.S. tennis star Jessica Pegula a late bloomer.
The 29-year-old has turned professional in 2013 and has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world.
After defeating fellow American Coco Gauff on Saturday (4 November), Pegula has secured a spot in the finals of the the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.
Pegula has showed fine form recently claiming the Korea Open before a winning streak at the WTA Finals, including over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Here are five things you might not know about Pegula.
Jessica Pegula’s parents own an NFL and NHL team
Her parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, are the multi-billionaire owners of the NFL team Buffalo Bills and the NHL team Buffalo Sabres.
Terry and Kim had the winning bid to purchase the Bills back in 2014 ahead of Donald Trump and Bon Jovi.
They have owned the NHL franchise Sabres since 2011.
Jessica Pegula’s mom is from the Republic of Korea
After a trip to the 2019 Korea Open with her family, Jessica Pegula wanted to get closer to her Asian roots. Her mother Kim was born in Seoul, where she was left by her parents outside a police station.
She was adopted and brought to Fairport, New York at five years old after staying in an orphanage.
Fast forward.
Jessica Pegula has embraced her role as an ambassador for the Asian American community.
“Young girls will come up to me – maybe they are from Korea, or maybe they have one Asian parent like me – and their message is usually something like this: ‘We love you and your mom’,” she told buffalobills.com.
Jessica Pegula: A big dog lover
Jessica Pegula LOVES dogs.
When Pegula and her partner Taylor Gahagen got married in 2021, they took the wedding photos together with their three furry friends.
Pegula is an ambassador and Gahagen the president at 'A Lending Paw', a charity that trains rescue dogs to become service animals.
Jessica Pegula plays golf
Jessica Pegula is not just good at swinging a racket, she also knows how to swing golf clubs.
Ahead of this year’s Wimbledon, she posted a clip on her Instagram page showing off her golf skills with the caption “grass szn prep”.
Check it out below.
Could this be her future as an athlete once her tennis career ends?
Jessica Pegula: Ranked world No. 1 in doubles
Pegula and compatriot Coco Gauff currently lead the WTA doubles world ranking.
The American duo reached the women's doubles final of the 2022 French Open, and they won the Miami Open earlier this year.
They are the first all-USA team since 2012 to reach the top of the rankings.
In singles, Pegula is currently ranked fifth in the world.