5 unknown facts about Jessica Pegula, who stormed into her maiden Major semifinal at the US Open 2024
Jessica Pegula finally broke her quarterfinal jinx at the Majors by reaching the semifinals of the US Open 2024. She previously bowed out in the quarterfinals on six occasions, including once in New York a couple of years ago.
A series of injuries hindered Pegula from performing her best in the first half of the season, though she did win the title in Berlin in June. She has been in impressive form during the summer hardcourt swing. She defended her title at the Canadian Open, and was the runner-up at the Cincinnati Open.
Pegula continued her good run of form at the US Open, and hasn't dropped a set yet. She beat World No. 1 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals to move into the last four here. She was eliminated by the Pole at this stage two years ago, so this win was extra special for her.
While the American has been a top-10 mainstay for the last couple of years, her low-key profile means not a lot is known about her. So here's a quick look into five lesser known facts about Pegula:
#1 - Jessica Pegula's childhood idol was Martina Hingis
Despite there being no dearth of successful and talented American players, Pegula was enamored by a player across the pond as a kid. She grew up idolizing Hingis, who took the world by storm as a teenager, and set several youngest-ever records en route to five Major singles titles.
Hingis' rivalry with the Williams sisters, among other players, helped the WTA maintain its popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While Pegula never got an opportunity to compete against the Swiss legend, she did replicate one of her idol's records.
By defending her Canadian Open title last month, Pegula became the first player since Hingis to do so. The latter did the same in 1999 and 2000. She'll now aim to follow in her footsteps and win a Slam as well.
#2 - Jessica Pegula has her own skincare line
Skincare has seeped into the mainstream conscience over the past decade after being a niche activity for a long time. Athletes often have to compete in harsh weather conditions, which makes a regular skincare routine a must for them.
Pegula is a huge skincare nerd, and being an athlete herself, she knows a regular routine goes a long way in keeping one's skin healthy. With that in mind, she launched her own line, 'Ready 24", in 2017. She got the idea for it while she was recovering from surgery in 2016, and has only grown the brand since then.
#3 - A noted dog lover, Jessica Pegula helms a non-profit for animals with her husband
Pegula has multiple dogs of her own, and her husband, Taylor Gahagen, shares her love for their beloved canine buddies. Together, they launched a non-profit, "A Lending Paw", with an aim to create some tangible change.
Their main goal is to rescue dogs and train them as service animals, and match them with people in need. One of Pegula's dogs, Dexter, tragically passed away last year, which left her heartbroken.
#4 - Jessica Pegula is an accomplished doubles player as well
Pegula regularly competed in doubles until the end of last year, and successfully balanced it with her singles career as well. She reached the women's doubles final at the French Open two years ago, and won three WTA 1000 titles in the discipline, all with Coco Gauff.
Pegula also reached the mixed doubles final with Austin Krajicek at last year's US Open, her first and so far only, in the discipline. She has won a total of seven titles in women's doubles, and reached another four finals.
Following a quarterfinal appearance at last year's US Open, Pegula clinched the World No. 1 ranking in doubles for the first time. She has played doubles sporadically this year, and will lessen her workload in the days to come in order to focus on singles.
#5 - Jessica Pegula dabbled in the food industry as well
Pegula, with her sister Kelly, launched "Healthy Scratch", a quick serve restaurant, in 2016. They continued to expand the business with a food truck the following year, and opened up in multiple locations over the next two years.
While the business was successful until that point, the pandemic affected them as well. One by one the restaurants were shut down, with the last two closing down for good in May 2022.