NEW YORK: Jessica Pegula says she finds it “annoying” and “outrageous” that fans believe she has servants waiting on her hand and foot just because her father is a multi-billionaire sports mogul.
American star Pegula is an accomplished professional tennis player in her own right and on Monday showed off her credentials by reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open.
However, the 30-year-old has found it almost impossible to separate her fortunes from those of father Terry Pegula who owns the Buffalo Bills NFL team as well as the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Forbes estimates the oil magnate’s net worth to be $7.7 billion.
“I did some media thing the other day. They were, like, What’s the most annoying thing?” explained sixth-ranked Pegula who has made almost $15 million from her on-court career which has also yielded six titles.
“It’s that people think I have a butler, that I get chauffeured around. I have a private limo, that I fly private everywhere. I’m definitely not like that.”
She added: “It’s a little annoying, but honestly I just think it’s kind of funny because I don’t really even know anyone that lives like that. It’s outrageous.”
Fans’ curiosity into her private life was piqued last week when she shared images of herself opting for a New York subway train rather than a car to beat Manhattan’s clogged roads.
Pegula’s fellow quarter-finalist Emma Navarro can empathise.
The 22-year-old New Yorker, who will play her first US Open quarter-final on Tuesday, is the daughter of former Citigroup vice-president Ben Navarro, the founder of Sherman Financial Group, His fortune is estimated by Forbes to be $1.5 billion.
Privately-educated Navarro is ranked at 12 in the world and made the US Open quarter-finals by defeating defending champion Coco Gauff.
Karolina Muchova having fun at US Open with throwback style
So far she has made $2.5 million in her fledgling playing career with one professional title.
“I have to give a lot of credit to my dad. He’s probably the smartest guy I know and has dropped a lot of knowledge and wisdom on my siblings and I over the years,” said Navarro in a recent interview.
It is possible for Pegula and Navarro to meet in Saturday’s US Open final as they are in opposite sides of the draw.
Navarro faces Spain’s Paula Badosa in her quarter-final on Tuesday with Pegula tackling either world number one Iga Swiatek or Liudmila Samsonova of Russia on Wednesday.
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