"What I won't buy is this garbage" - Jessica Pegula hits back at criticism about her 'family billions' after Wimbledon exit
Jessica Pegula has taken issue with a reference made to her family wealth in an article criticizing her defeat in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
Pegula defeated Lauren Davis, Cristina Bucsa, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and Lesia Tsurenko en route to her maiden quarterfinal at the grasscourt Major, where she took on Marketa Vondrousova. Vondrousova claimed the opening set 6-4 before the World No. 4 bounced back to take the second and force a decider.
Despite leading 4-1 in the third set, Pegula was unable to close out the match as Vondrousova won five consecutive games to secure a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.
The American's defeat marked her sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal exit, having previously failed to progress past the last eight at the Australian Open (2021, 2022, 2023), the French Open (2022) and the US Open (2022).
An article in 'The Sunday Times' titled "Six quarter-finals, six defeats: Jessica Pegula needs dynamic that family billions can't buy," seemingly questioned the 29-year-old's drive to win Grand Slam titles given her family's vast fortune.
"She is surrounded by luxury, but no grand-slam trophies. Which begs the question of what drives her. Is it possible to be hungry for victory if defeat is not overly meaningful in terms of wealth?" the article reads.
Pegula's parents, Terry and Kim, are the owners of NFL team Buffalo Bills and Ice Hockey team Buffalo Sabres. They have reportedly amassed a fortune of over $7 billion through their involvements in the natural gas and oil industries.
Upon coming across the article on social media, Pegula expressed dissatisfaction with the sentiments expressed in the headline.
"I'll tell you what I won't buy is this (garbage) article," Jessica Pegula tweeted.
I’ll tell you what I won’t buy is this 🗑️ article 🤣 twitter.com/tenniscamfr/st…
"Would be nice if people didn't say that" - Jessica Pegula addresses her 'World's richest tennis player' nickname
During her Wimbledon 2023 campaign, Jessica Pegula was asked about her family's wealth and her feelings about being known as the "world's richest tennis player."
The World No. 4 acknowledged the nickname before clarifying that she did not personally possess the money amassed by her family. Despite this, she stated that she understood why the label stuck, considering her family's prominence in the USA.
"Yeah, I mean, people say that. I personally don't have that money. It's probably my dad or my parents. I don't know why that kind of stuck. I mean, I understand, though. My family obviously is pretty well-known back in America," she said.
The American appeared to be nonchalant regarding the nickname, stating that while it would be preferable if people refrained from making such statements, she wasn't bothered about the label.
"Yeah, I mean, it is what it is. I mean, it doesn't really bother me. It would be nice if people didn't say that. But do I really care? I mean, not really. It is what is," she added.