Jessica Pegula flies Austin finalists to Indian Wells on private jet
The finalists at the ATX Open in Austin were spared a grueling late-night trip to Indian Wells following Sunday’s action after world No. 4 Jessica Pegula flew them to the tournament in the Californian desert on a private jet.
Pegula, whose billionaire parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, won the singles title in Austin by defeating fellow American McCartney Kessler 7-5, 6-2. But Pegula hung around for the doubles final, where Kessler and Zhang Shuai lost to Yuan Yue and Anna Blinkova.
With the players facing a quick turnaround ahead of the Indian Wells main draw beginning Wednesday, Pegula offered to fly all of them to California for the WTA 1000 tournament.
Zhang thanked Pegula for her generosity on Instagram, adding that the players would otherwise have faced a late-night layover in Los Angeles or trips to nearby airports in Dallas and Houston.
“You know she can leave away right after her singles final, but she is such a selfless and generous girl,” Zhang wrote. “This message is NOT to show I took the jet, just wanted to appreciate and transferring the love.”
Blinkova shared Zhang’s post on her own Instagram story and thanked Pegula, who has amassed more than $17 million in prize money in her career.
Yue also expressed gratitude to Pegula on social media for the luxurious ride.
“Otherwise, we would all have been on the road for at least nine hours,” she said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Carlos Alcaraz could run into Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals in his quest for a rare Indian Wells three-peat, while defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also faces a tough test.
Djokovic beat Alcaraz to reach the Australian Open semifinals in January and is hoping he can become only the third man to claim 100 career singles titles when the main draw of the tournament kicks off Wednesday in the California desert.
Djokovic, who received a first-round bye, will hope to have put recent injury concerns behind him as he kicks off his campaign at the Masters 1000 event against either a qualifier or Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
The men’s draw could also see No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany face off against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.
American Taylor Fritz, the 2022 champion and local favorite, could run into Russian Andrey Rublev in the final eight.
On the women’s side, No. 2 seed Swiatek is on a quarterfinal collision course with China’s Qinwen Zheng months after the No. 7 seed knocked her out in the semifinal stage of the Olympic women’s singles tournament.
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will look to bounce back after a pair of early exits from Doha and Dubai last month, with Italy’s Jasmine Paolini potentially standing between her and the semifinals.
A tantalizing all-American quarterfinal clash could be in the cards after 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff and newly minted Australian Open champion Madison Keys were pulled into the same half of the draw.
Each hopes to end a 24-year title drought for American women at Indian Wells since Serena Williams last won the event.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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There was a special treat for the finalists at the ATX Open in Austin courtesy of Jessica Pegula. The American star landed her seventh career title at the WTA 250 tournament, beating compatriot McCartney Kessler 7-5 6-2 in the final. It compounded an agonising tournament for Kessler. She also lost the doubles final with Zhang Shuai after they were undone by a comeback from Yuan Yue and Anna Blinkova. However, for all four stars, the reward for going all the way was a luxurious one.
With The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells getting underway this week, Pegula headed straight to California from Texas in her private jet. But the 31-year-old was not alone, inviting her four fellow finalists to fly comfortably with her.
This gesture particularly pleased Chinese star Yue, who sealed her second career WTA doubles title on Sunday. She took to social media to express her gratitude at being spared an arduous car trip.
“Praise Miss Pegula. Okay!!!” she wrote. “She has invited all the players in today’s game (doubles final) to take a private plane together. Thank you so much!!!
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“Otherwise, we would all have been on the road for at least nine hours tomorrow. Oh my God, how can there be such a beautiful lady?”
Zhang, who with Kessler also stepped on board, added: “The final day girls discuss how flight to IW, many different ways, someone leave from Austin/ Houston/ Dallas, someone might need to transfer at LA in the middle night because it’s tough to get a flight after the doubles final.
“In the meantime @jpegula offering everyone who playing at the Sunday final to join her private jet, you know she can leave away right after her singles final, but she is such a selfless and generous girl. This message is NOT to show I took the jet, just wanted to appreciate and transferring the love.”
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Pegula is the daughter of billionaire parents Terry and Kim Pegula. Through their Pegula Sports and Entertainment company, the couple owns two iconic American sports teams – the NFL franchise Buffalo Bills and the NHL team Buffalo Sabres.
The 2024 US Open finalist boasts a net worth of £10.3million. She’s currently ranked No.4 in the world, and has regularly pushed back at cynics who have questioned her motivation for success given her wealth, given she is considered the world’s richest tennis player.
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Pegula flies Austin finalists to Indian Wells on private jet
Jessica Pegula has earned more than £13m in prize money during her career
After competing in the finals of the ATX Open on Sunday, McCartney Kessler, Zhang Shuai, Yue Yuan and Anna Blinkova faced a lengthy trip to their next event in Indian Wells – until Jessica Pegula stepped in.
American Pegula, who beat compatriot Kessler 7–5 6–2 in the singles final in Austin, offered the four players use of her private jet to fly straight from Texas to California.
The world number four even waited until after the doubles final – which saw Yue and Blinkova beat Kessler and Shuai 3-6, 6-1 10-4 – to ensure everyone could make the 1,263-mile trip.
The players would have otherwise faced a stopover in Los Angeles or trips to airports in Dallas and Houston, leaving little time to prepare for Indian Wells, which begins on Wednesday.
“She could have left right after her singles final, but she is such a selfless and generous girl,” China’s Zhang posted on Instagram.
“This message is not to show I took the jet, [I] just wanted to appreciate and transfer the love.”
Russian Blinkova and China’s Yue shared Zhang’s story on Instagram and also thanked 31-year-old Pegula, whose billionaire parents own NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Blinkova has been drawn to play Kessler in the first round at Indian Wells, while Yue will play Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.
Pegula, seeded fourth, has been given a first-round bye. Zhang will enter the doubles event later in the tournament.
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