Before Jessica Pegula took down the No. 1-ranked women’s singles player in the world at the 2024 U.S. Open, she had to dispel some rumors.
Pegula took down Poland star Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, to move on to the semifinals in the U.S. Open, where she will now face Karolína Muchová with a chance to reach the women’s singles final.
However, there were rumors prior to this match that Pegula’s upbringing as the daughter of billionaire Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, meant a silver spoon in her mouth.
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Pegula addressed those rumors following her previous win against Diana Shnaider in Round 4 on Monday, calling it "a little annoying" that people believe she had a life filled with butler service and limousine rides wherever she went.
"I did some media thing the other day, too, and they were like, ‘What’s the most annoying thing?’" Pegula said during her post-game press conference. "It’s that people think I have a butler, that I get chauffeured around. I have a private limo, that I fly private everywhere.
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"I’m definitely not like that. People can think what they want, I don’t know. I just think it’s kind of funny. A butler? I read these comments…I’m like, ‘No, not at all.’ But maybe I should. I don’t know at this point. Is that what you want me to do? Do all these crazy things?"
Pegula, who was answering a reporter’s question about whether she feels "scrutiny" because her father is a very wealthy man, added that its "outrageous" people believe she has all these amenities.
Some tennis fans were shocked to see Pegula posting on Instagram that she took the subway to Flushing and the Long Island Railroad home – two separate posts – during the U.S. Open for an ad campaign.
With her tennis bag and all, Pegula noted in her first post while on the subway that she does not like taking a car and enjoys trains.
"I always try and take the train," she said.
"My agent makes fun of me for not wanting to take a nice car. We actually went to Flushing one time. It took an hour and a half in the car and I wanted to, like, throw up. I was ready to like jump out of the car and walk to the site. We took the subway back."
No matter what fans think, the 30-year-old is making the most of her time at Arthur Ashe Stadium when she arrives on site, whether by train or car. This is the first time in Pegula’s career that she has won a major quarterfinal, going 0-6 in her previous matches.
She hopes to reach her first career Grand Slam final, as she faces Muchova on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. in Flushing.
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