Jessica Pegula's billionaire dad breaks his own rule with daughter in US Open final
Jessica Pegula will contest her maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open.
Jessica Pegula will contest her first Grand Slam final on home soil on Saturday as she faces Aryna Sabalenka with the US Open title on the line.
World No. 6 Pegula has never made it this far at a Major - before now, she had a 0-6 record in Grand Slam quarter-finals.
Her run has prompted her dad - billionaire Terry Pegula - to break his own rules.
Related articles
The Buffalo Bills owner was spotted in the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd when his daughter faced Karolina Muchova in Thursday’s semi-final. It was an unusual sight, as Terry has previously chosen not to watch Pegula play in person.
Jon Scott, the sports director of Buffalo TV station WGRZ, was surprised to see Pegula’s father in the crowd for her semi-final. He tweeted: “Terry Pegula shown watching daughter Jessie in U.S. Open semifinal. He's said in the past he gets too nervous to watch her in person.”
Scott also recalled one of his past conversations with the 73-year-old businessman, who knew that his daughter would be able to reach the top of the game when she finally solved her physical problems.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“I had a conversation many years ago with Terry Pegula about Jessie's tennis career,” he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “At that point injuries had really slowed her. Terry adamantly told me his daughter could beat anyone in the world when healthy. She's headed to 1st grand slam final Saturday.”
Pegula was something of a late bloomer compared to most of her peers. The American reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the 2021 Australian Open, when she was 26 years old. She was 28 when she broke into the world’s top 10 for the first time.
Don't miss...
Federer vs Nadal vs Djokovic - Players to have faced them give GOAT verdicts [FEATURE]
Stefanos Tsitsipas launches legal action after ex-physio's allegations [NEWS]
Frances Tiafoe's body 'breaks down' in heartbreaking loss to Fritz at US Open [QUOTES]
The recent Toronto champion will be hoping that her slow but steady progression pays off on the biggest stage in tennis as she bids to win her first Grand Slam title at age 30. But she faces a tough test against Sabalenka, who won their latest meeting in the Cincinnati Open final less than three weeks ago.
Ahead of their US Open showdown, Pegula joked: “She’s a really great hard court player, if not one of the best in the world, but I think I'm also a really good hard court player. Cincinnati, she served unbelievable, and I felt like I still had chances in that match. So hopefully she doesn't serve that good Saturday. Maybe a little bit less would be nice.”
And it will no longer be a surprise if her dad comes out to watch the biggest match of her career on Saturday under the lights on Arthur Ashe.
