World’s richest tennis player sped up US Open drugs testing by drinking beer
Jessica Pegula is the richest tennis player in the world, but she loves a beer, as she showed after her demoralizing elimination from the US Open last year. The 29-year-old, who has since risen to No. 3 in the world, is back at Flushing Meadows 12 months on and she faces fellow American Madison Keys on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals at her home tournament.
Pegula has won seven career titles, but she has never made it beyond the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam. After much heartache, the New York native hopes this is finally the year that she truly cracks the elite level on the biggest stage. But last year, it was not to be for the daughter of Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula.
After reaching the last eight in September 2022, her hopes came to an end at the hands of world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets. Swiatek went on to win her third career Slam just a few days later, while Pegula had to go back to the drawing board.
In her post-match press conference, it appeared she was drowning her sorrows when she grabbed a can of Heineken from the table in front of her, cracked it open and took a drink. But she quickly made it known that the effects of alcohol were only a secondary consideration; instead, she was eager to hurry up her doping test so she could get home.
“I’m trying to pee for doping,” Pegula replied when a reporter asked why she was drinking the beer. “Although it does help ease the loss!”
It was a brief moment of humor but it was clear Pegula was devastated after coming up short again on the big stage. “Honestly, I don’t know,” she said when asked for her verdict. “I go back and forth. Oh, I should be positive. At the same time I’m like, three quarter-finals.
“I wish I could have done it here at my home Slam, but I guess not. I wish I didn’t have to play Iga every quarter-final or Ash Barty, which seem to be the two people who don’t really lose that often. I mean, I had a great year at the Slams. I’m a little deflated right now. I just wish it would have been different tonight.”
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A year later, Pegula is still waiting for her first semi-final appearance at a Grand Slam, but she may not have a better chance in her career. She is favored to defeat 17-seed Keys in the fourth round, and if she gets through to the last eight, she will face ninth-seed Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic or unseeded American Peyton Stearns for a place in the final four.
Pegula – along with her siblings – is the heiress to a massive family fortune of more than $7 billion, according to Forbes. Her father is among the 400 richest people in the world after making his fortune in natural gas development, and he has since acquired NFL franchise the Bills, the Buffalo Sabres NHL team and several minor league hockey organizations.
Pegula also remains in the draw for the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows. In the Women’s she has reached the third round with Coco Gauff, and in the mixed doubles – in which she is seeded first alongside American Austin Krajicek – Pegula has reached the quarter-finals.
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