This article first appeared in the June/July 2026 issue of Australian Tennis Magazine. To order your copy, visit tennismag.com.au.
The press room quietens as Jessica Pegula ascends the stage. She’s just come off a loss to Iga Swiatek in the US Open 2022 quarterfinals, and while her disappointment is tangible, the can of Heineken in her hand speaks to a more playful and relaxed side of her personality.
“It does help ease the loss,” Pegula quipped as the room chuckled alongside her.
From that moment, that innocent can of beer became a symbol of something much larger. For some, it was a refreshingly human moment from one of the most elite athletes on tour. For others, it was criticised as careless. But for Pegula, the beer was simply a reward.
“I think I’m always really good at being super disciplined, but also I’ve worked really hard,” Pegula said. “Sometimes it’s like, 'This sucks – I’m going to have a beer’. It’s fine. I don’t think it’s personally going to alter anything in the future, in that moment.”
This measured steadiness and balanced mindset is one of Pegula’s biggest weapons. Sure, she could have waited to drink her beer off camera after the press conference. But mentally resetting after a gruelling match when both mind and body were stretched to their limits mattered more to the American than keeping up appearances.
Pegula is renowned for her iron-clad discipline, which she has honed and sharpened over the years. It is a big reason why the ‘late bloomer’ started racking up titles and tunnelling deeper into tournaments after the age of 25, while giving her younger opponents on the other side of the net a run for their money.
While her on-court success has built a substantial personal fortune, Pegula is often defined by something else entirely – her family’s immense wealth, which has led to her being labelled the “richest tennis player in the world”.
Raised in Buffalo, Pegula is the daughter of billionaires Terry and Kim Pegula. Her father made his fortune in natural gas before expanding into sports ownership, purchasing the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres in 2011, helping grow the family’s wealth to more than USD $7 billion, according to Forbes.
Yet Pegula has consistently distanced her identity from that narrative, emphasising that the fortune belongs to her parents – and that she would rather be recognised for her achievements in tennis.
“People say that [I’m a billionaire]. I personally don’t have that money. It’s probably my dad’s or my parents’. My family obviously is pretty well-known back in America,” she said at All England Club in 2023.
“It would be great to win Wimbledon because then I would also have a lot of money from winning Wimbledon,” she added with a smile. “I think that would probably be better.”
Since 2022, she has won nine titles, including two titles this year, at Charleston and Dubai, at 32 years old.
Pegula was first introduced to tennis at age seven, and 10 years on, the then-17-year-old was granted a wildcard into the US Open 2011 doubles main draw with partner Taylor Townsend. She made her Grand Slam singles debut as a 260th-ranked qualifier at the US Open in 2015.
Unfortunately, each time a young Pegula appeared set to break new ground, injury set her back.
In 2017, Pegula underwent hip surgery, which kept her off tour for over a year and saw her ranking plummet to outside the top 800. It wasn’t the first time that injury halted progress; Pegula has also suffered multiple injuries to her left knee, which still affects her to this day.
It might have been easy for Pegula to walk away after her first major surgery. Even her mother, Kim, raised significant concerns.
“There are other women whose families are relying on them through tennis, but she doesn’t have that worry. She doesn’t have to do this, and her life would be so much easier if she didn’t,” Pegula's mother told ESPN in 2021.
Pegula was facing more than just a return from surgery. She would need to rebuild her strength, confidence and ranking, climbing back towards the top-150 ranking she had occupied before her injury – a demanding path by any measure. And, as her mother referenced, not a challenging path she needed to take, given the financial security behind her.
But Pegula has never been one to take the easy route.
Humble, hard-working and driven by a genuine love of the sport, she returned to the WTA Tour on her own terms.
Pegula reflected on her tumultuous journey after progressing to the US Open 2025 semifinals. “After my hip surgery, I definitely had this awakening moment where one rehab sucks, and I was like,‘ I cannot do this again’,” she commented.
“I have to do everything in my power to stay healthy, or else I’m never going to give myself a chance to go out there and compete. So, I really reworked my fitness [and] my nutrition.”
This, coupled with almost daily rehab for three months, helped her slowly return to the practice court. And when she returned to the tour, Pegula did so with a vengeance.
After competing in multiple lower-level tournaments, she advanced to a first WTA final in Quebec City in September 2018 and in February 2019, she finally broke through for the first time in her career into the top 100.
The successful comeback speaks volumes about Pegula’s discipline, determination and healthy mindset. Without it, she may never have reached her career-high ranking of world No.3 in October 2022.
With a knack for staying level, Jessica Pegula rarely lets her emotions get the better of her. Between her cosmetics line Ready 24, her non-profit organisation A Lending Paw – which connects people in need with rescued and trained service dogs – and a demanding WTA schedule, she somehow never appears stretched too thin.
“She seems not to get too high when she wins and not too low when she loses and that is a huge asset and the perfect disposition for a sustainable career in tennis,” former world No.9 Andrea Petkovic wrote on her Substack Finite Jest.
The German regards Pegula as one of the WTA’s most underrated players noting that her weapons – unlike big hitters such as Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina – are mental, rather than wholly physical.
“While Aryna and Elena seem to overrule the law of object hitting the ground with their power, Jess’ method is sneakier,” Petkovic noted. “Jessica Pegula’s eye and her inherent and immediate comprehension of the most efficient patterns on court could never be captured by something so mundane as stats.”
The American’s ability to focus during high-pressure moments has been widely commended. Over time, Pegula has been able to finetune and implement that skill, often turning a match in her favour in a difficult situation.
Pegula has subsequently made consistently deep runs into the business end of tournaments – such as at Australian Open 2026, where she bested compatriots including defending champion Madison Keys and No.4 seed Amanda Anisimova before falling to eventual champion Rybakina in the semifinals.
Pegula’s down-to-earth outlook extends off court, translating to strong relationships with fellow players – where no matter the results, there’s no hard feelings between her and her opponents.
This was especially clear after Pegula outclassed Keys in the AO 2026 fourth round. The pair made a wager that if Keys lost, she would have to try a Pegula family Thanksgiving specialty: apple pie topped with cheese. Keys, who co-hosts The Player’s Box podcast with Pegula, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, held up her end of the bargain after a 6-3 6-4 loss, sampling the unusual dessert live on air – much to her distaste. It was all in good fun, with the hosts’ camaraderie adding to the listeners’ amusement.
Pegula’s recent form is in stark contrast to her early years, when she made just two Grand Slam main draws from 14 qualifying attempts between 2011 and 2018.
Despite being the oldest WTA player in the world’s top 10, Pegula is still changing, growing and evolving like the youthful up-and-comers.
“Right now, I’m just very open to learning,” she told media at Indian Wells this year. “I’m always very open to trying new things. I think one of the strengths I have as an athlete is probably being able to change something and implement it very quickly.”
And as for that fateful frothy beverage at US Open 2022? As well as being a reward for Pegula, and a quick and easy way to cool off after a tough match, it reminded the world No.4 – and the rest of us – of something else.
“I’ve really learned that you need to enjoy it,” she said. “And especially as I’ve gotten older, you realise it all goes very fast.”