Meet Jessica Pegula, the billionaire heiress fighting for her first Grand Slam title at the US Open

Jessica Pegula at the 2026 US Open. Jessica Pegula, 32, is the No. 3 women's tennis player in the world. She's also one of the world's highest-paid female athletes, with career earnings over $24 million. Her parents are Terry and Kim Pegula, the billionaire owners of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres. Tennis star Jessica Pegula is the daughter of billionaires Terry and Kim Pegula, owners of the NFL's Buffalo Bills and the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, but she's also built a lucrative career of her own. As the WTA's No. 3 player in the world — and the highest-ranked American woman — Pegula, 32, started strong at this year's US Open, defeating Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday. And while a Grand Slam title has eluded her so far, she's gotten close, reaching the final at the 2024 US Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. She also reached the semifinals of the 2025 US Open and 2026 Australian Open, as well as the quarterfinals of Wimbledon earlier this summer, losing to her former doubles partner, Coco Gauff. Ahead of her return to play at the Open on Wednesday, here's everything you need to know about Jessica Pegula. Jessica Pegula was born in Buffalo, New York. Jessica Pegula was born in Buffalo, New York, and moved to Boca Raton, Florida. Rich Storry/ for ITF Pegula was born in Buffalo on February 24, 1994. She lived in Pennsylvania and South Carolina before moving to Boca Raton, Florida, in 2007, The Palm Beach Post reported. There, she trained with Dave Rineberg — Serena and Venus Williams' former hitting coach — while attending high school online before going to the University of Pittsburgh. Rineberg told The Palm Beach Post in 2010 that the Williams sisters "had that same explosive power" as Pegula, and that's what "really excited" him about her. Her father, Terry Pegula, has an estimated net worth of $9.3 billion. Buffalo Bills owners Kim and Terry Pegula in 2014. Tom Szczerbowski/ Forbes reported that Terry Pegula founded the oil and gas company East Resources in 1983. He sold most of the company's assets in 2010 to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion. In 2011, Terry Pegula purchased the NHL team, the Buffalo Sabres, for $189 million. And in 2014, he outbid Donald Trump to purchase the NFL's Buffalo Bills for $1.4 billion. According to an essay Jessica Pegula wrote for the Buffalo Bills' website in 2023, her mom, Kim Pegula, was an active member of both organizations, serving as the president and co-owner of both teams — making her the first woman to hold such titles — as well as a member of the NFL's workplace diversity committee and the NHL's executive inclusion council. However, Kim Pegula went into cardiac arrest and suffered a brain injury in June 2022 and is still in the process of recovering. In 2023, the team said she would not be returning to her executive roles. In her first public appearance in two years, Kim Pegula attended an event at the team's new Highmark Stadium in August 2026. Terry dissolved Pegula Sports and Entertainment in August 2023, the company that held both the Bills and Sabres, and he is now president of both organizations. Pegula has hit back at criticism about her parents' wealth and its impact on her career. Jessica Pegula smiles with Buffalo Bills players Kaiir Elam and Dion Dawkins after a win during the 2023 Miami Open. Robert Prange/ Following Pegula's 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinal loss to Markéta Vondroušová, The Times of London reported that she "needs dynamic that family billions can't buy," posing questions like, "Is it possible to be hungry for victory if defeat is not overly meaningful in terms of wealth?" and arguing that she "has a plan B whether she wants it or not." Pegula addressed her family's wealth in a season two episode of Netflix's "Break Point," which documented that loss and referenced the subsequent media coverage. "The journalists that write about me have no freakin' clue. I can't buy my way into a semifinal. I was just like, 'What kind of clickbait trash is this?'" she said. She also defended her upbringing in the episode. "Some people get this image that it's really easy for me because my dad is very wealthy, but that didn't happen till I was 17 or 18," she said. "They gave me a great childhood and instilled a lot of work ethic in me. They definitely got me to this point." In a November 2023 interview with Forbes, Pegula elaborated on her family's wealth and its impact on her career as a professional athlete, saying that someone isn't going to become a successful athlete unless they "work hard," are talented, "and really are driven to get there." She has four siblings. Kim Pegula, Kelly Pegula, Jessica Pegula, and Laura Pegula watched a Buffalo Sabres game in 2011. Bill Wippert/Contributor/NHLI via Getty Images On her dad's side, she has two older half-siblings, Michael and Laura, and two full siblings, Kelly and Matthew. Her older half-sister, Laura, introduced her to tennis. Jessica Pegula competed at Wimbledon 2024. Daniel Kopatsch/ Pegula told Forbes she was inspired to play by her older half-sister Laura, who played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh. The Palm Beach Post reported that Pegula started taking tennis lessons at age 7 and that her family moved to Boca Raton, Florida, in 2007 to help her pursue her dreams. In 2010, Pegula told the publication, "I really appreciate everything they do for me. They've given up a lot. We've moved down (here) just to give me a shot, because they believe in me." "My mom always jokes, 'Do you know how much money you owe me from these tournaments? If you ever win a Grand Slam, pay me back,'" she added. Pegula describes herself as a late bloomer. Jessica Pegula reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal during the 2021 Australian Open. Daniel Pockett/ Unlike Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz, who burst onto the scene as teenagers, Pegula didn't have her big break until her mid-20s. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal during the 2021 Australian Open and has since competed in the quarterfinals at every Grand Slam tournament. She's still fighting for a Grand Slam singles title, but she started strong at the 2026 US Open. Jessica Pegula at the 2026 US Open. Garrett Ellwood/USTA via Getty Images Pegula seems to be inching closer to that Grand Slam title, reaching the final at the 2024 US Open, the semifinals at the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open, and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2026. She has won 11 singles titles in her career, most recently at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February and at the Credit One Charleston Open in April, her second consecutive title in Charleston. At her first appearance at the 2026 US Open on Sunday, she started off strong with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Next, she'll face fellow American Sofia Kenin on Wednesday. As of May 2026, Pegula has earned more than $24 million in prize money, the WTA reported. Pegula's career prize earnings total more than $14 million. Robert Prange/ In 2026 alone, her prize money stands at more than $4.2 million, the WTA reported. In 2025, Forbes named her as the 10th highest-paid female athlete of the year, reporting her annual earnings had reached $12.3 million, including $5.3 million on the court, and $7 million off. Her sponsors have included major brands such as Adidas, Hyatt Hotels, Yonex, Ready Nutrition, IBM, De Bethune watches, Dyson James Limited, and Gorjana jewelry. She has been outspoken about the gap between male and female tennis players' pay, telling the outlet, "We always talk about how it's equal at Slams, but those are four tournaments a year — it's not equal at a lot of the other tournaments." "I think we need to do better at marketing our game," she added. "It's such an international sport, and there are so many different stories, and we reach so many people. But are we really telling those stories the best way we can to the fans?" Pegula used to be doubles partners with Coco Gauff. Pegula and Gauff made it to the quarterfinal of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open, otherwise known as Indian Wells. Robert Prange/ Pegula told Forbes in 2023 that they've "learned a lot from each other from playing doubles" and that they "have a lot of fun." She also described Gauff, now 22, as "definitely Gen Z," and said they poke fun at each other for their generational differences, such as Pegula not understanding TikTok trends. However, after suffering an early exit from the Paris Olympics — the duo lost in the second round to Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic — the pair announced they were taking a step back from doubles competition for the remainder of the 2024 season. They have not played as doubles partners since. Pegula is a founding member on the board of directors for the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association. Pegula helped found the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association. Robert Prange/ Pegula helped found the organization in 2022, a decision she said was inspired by her mother, who was adopted from an orphanage in South Korea and raised in Upstate New York. In a post for the Buffalo Bills shared in May 2023, Pegula wrote, "I'm not sure she ever cared about or even saw the barriers that were in front of her entering the sports world, a male-dominated field without a ton of Asian American representation. She broke those barriers without even knowing it." "Once she did realize what she had accomplished, she became a voice for representation in sports," Pegula added. "We have the same goal with the AAPITA. The AAPI tennis community is large but underrepresented. We hope to empower leaders, grow visibility, and create programming that encourages youth participation." Off the court, she also founded the skincare company Ready 24. Pegula founded Ready 24 in 2017. Robert Prange/ Forbes reported that Pegula founded the company in 2017 while recovering from hip surgery with the help of a "business connection in Buffalo." The company's products include a vitamin C cleanser, lavender mist, and moisturizers, and retail for $22 to $40 for individual products. Forbes reported that Pegula was "essentially a one-woman company," involved in every step of the process, from choosing consistencies and smells to running the company's Shopify and social media accounts, helping with web design, and even writing the labels. As her tennis career has progressed, she's had to step back and focus on hiring help. "It's been a hard act to kind of balance all the responsibilities that I have from before, when it was just, you showed up at practice," Pegula said. "I'm a perfectionist, and I want it to be successful." She also works alongside her husband, Taylor Gahagen, at their animal charity, A Lending Paw. Taylor Gahagen and Jessica Pegula. The couple, who started dating in 2015, founded A Lending Paw in 2018. The nonprofit supports organizations that rescue and rehabilitate dogs, as well as programs that train rescued dogs to become service animals. "The love from your dogs is unreal," Pegula told Tennis.com in 2025. "They aren't going to sit there and judge you; they just listen and love back, no matter what. They help me bring me back to appreciating the small moments at home, no matter what tough moments I'm facing." Gahagen is also vice president of Ready 24. Before their ventures together, he worked at Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the company formerly owned by Pegula's parents. Gahagen and Pegula married at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2021. In 2025, she launched a podcast called "The Player's Box" with three other WTA stars. Jessica Pegula, Desirae Krawczyk, Madison Keys, and Jennifer Brady are the hosts of "The Player's Box." for World of Hyatt Pegula started the podcast with Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk in August 2025, during the 2025 US Open. In the episodes, they talk about the latest WTA news and pop culture, answer fan questions, and share behind-the-scenes glimpses into life as a pro tennis player. In a live episode ahead of the 2026 US Open, Pegula said recording the podcast didn't feel like another work obligation amid her packed schedule. "This is kind of like therapeutic," she said. "This is fun. This is just chit-chatting." Read the original article on Business Insider

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