Jessica Pegula has boosted her £5.5billion net worth with another £185,000 prize after reaching the third round of the Australian Open.
The world No.3 American continued her stunning career-best run on Tuesday night, beating Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2 7-6 (7-5). Pegula, who defeated No.1 seed Iga Swiatek at the United Cup this month, dominated the first set against the 38th-ranked Sasnovich, but was put through her paces in the second.
Her efforts to win the tiebreaker were eventually rewarded with a place in the third round, where she will meet Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk on Friday. Yet Pegula is unlikely to be fussed about the sizeable sum of money she will receive due to her progress.
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That is because the 28-year-old comes from a billionaire family, making her the world’s richest tennis player. Her parents Terry and Kim are the owners of NFL side Buffalo Bills and NHL outfit Buffalo Sabres – with an estimated net worth of £5.5bn according to Forbes.
The family’s interests extend beyond sport, too. They are the proud owners of a £14m superyacht called ‘Top Five II’, which has six cabins capable of housing 12 guests. The Pegula family also owns a stunning £2.5m gated mansion in Florida.
Pegula said back in 2020: “I know I was more privileged than other people. I’m aware of that. I try to be very down-to-earth, and I think I am.”
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(Image: JAMES ROSS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Pegula displayed just that by paying a touching tribute to recovering Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during her matches.
She has worn a white screen-printed patch with Hamlin’s No.3 on her jersey to honour the NFL star, who went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this month.
Hamlin was resuscitated on the field before spending more than a week in hospital, part of that time in critical condition, before being allowed to go home.
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