Tennis ace Jessica Pegula has insisted that winning Olympic gold is her ultimate “dream”.
Despite being set for life financially, with her family fortune estimated to be a mind-blowing £5.4billion, Pegula suffered an early exit from the Paris Olympics, bowing out in the second round of both the singles and the doubles. But it’s clear that cash can’t buy everything, as Pegula highlighted the importance of the Olympics to her with a sweet response on social media.
The 30-year-old star chimed in on a post by footballer Mallory Swanson on X (formerly known as Twitter). Swanson, who struck gold with the USA women’s soccer team in Paris, not only celebrated her 100th cap in the final against Brazil but also netted the decisive goal.
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After her match-winning performance, Swanson shared a blast from the past a quote from her high-school yearbook which read: “My favourite memory of 6th grade was Outdoor Ed. I want to be on the USA soccer team and win a gold medal.” Pegula’s response to Swanson was a simple: “A girl can dream”.
Despite her lofty ambitions that no amount of money can buy, Pegula’s dream to reach the Olympic podium will have to wait a little longer following a disappointing performance in Paris. The world No6 entered the Games as the fifth seed and defeated Viktorija Golubic 6-3, 6-4 in the first round, reports the Express.
However, she was knocked out in the second round by Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 3-6. Her quest for gold in the doubles didn’t fare much better either. Teaming up with Coco Gauff, the pair were defeated 6-2, 4-6, 5-10 by the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova, also in the second round.
Despite being a notable presence on the tennis court with six Grand Slam quarter-final appearances and being a finalist in both US and French Open doubles, Pegula often finds her achievements eclipsed by her lineage. Her dad, Terry Pegula, is the money-making mogul behind the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, having struck gold in oil and gas, placing his daughter’s net worth above sporting legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer combined, according to Forbes.
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(Image: jpegula/Instagram)
Yet the ‘world’s richest tennis player’ doesn’t quite fancy the tag. She volleyed back on Netflix’s “Break Point”, saying: “Some people get this image that it’s really easy for me because my dad is very wealthy but that didn’t happen until I was 17 or 18.”
She then went on to share insights into her upbringing, highlighting her father’s stern parenting style. “My dad was probably more hard on me than my mum, the more old-school one pushing me. They gave me a great childhood and instilled a lot of work ethic in me.”