Jessica Pegula was questioned about her family’s £74million yacht after crashing out of the US Open at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka. The 31-year-old had high hopes of clinching her first Grand Slam title in New York, only to have her dreams crushed by WTA No. 1 Sabalenka in the semi-finals on Thursday.
While Pegula took the first set 6-4, Sabalenka rallied to take the second 6-3 before rounding off the match with a 6-4 clinic. She will now face Amanda Anisimova in Saturday’s final, after the American found success in her own semi-final clash with Naomi Osaka. And while many reporters were keen to speak to Pegula about her thoughts and feelings on the loss to Sabalenka in her post-match press conference, others were more interested in her multi-million-pound family yacht that her father harboured at Long Island’s Manhasset Bay.
When asked about the yacht arriving in New York, Pegula said: “I think so. I don’t really know where they have been staying. I think they were anchored somewhere, but I haven’t been or seen them. I just see them after the matches, so I’m not really sure what they’ve been doing on the other days.”
As left-field as the question may appear, Pegula’s family wealth has been a topic of conversation throughout her career. Her father, Terry Pegula, has an estimated net worth of around £6.9billion according to Forbes, as a result of making his fortune in the oil and gas sector ahead of making the move into the world of sports.
Terry bought the Buffalo Bills NFL franchise for around £1bn in 2014. And it’s safe to say that he has seen a hefty return on his investment, given the outfit is now said to be worth as much as £4.4bn.
That’s not to say that Pegula hasn’t paved her own way in the world of tennis. The Floridian is estimated to have earned around £12m in tournament winnings to date, with impressive resumes in the singles and doubles games.
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And while many would assume that Pegula sees a portion of her family riches, which she will likely inherit in the future, she has handed a subtle reminder to fans that she doesn’t necessarily benefit from the fortune at the time being.
On the topic of the net worth of her family, she said: “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. I mean, it is what it is. 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. But, yeah… I don’t really think it matters how much money you have.”
Pegula reached the first Grand Slam singles final of her career at last year’s US Open, before suffering a 7-5 7-5 loss at the hands of Sabalenka. The 27-year-old Belarusian will now aim to claim the fourth Grand Slam title of her incredible career to date when she faces world No. 9 Anisimova at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.