Jessica Pegula is riding a wave of success after clinching the Dubai Tennis Championship title, defeating Elina Svitolina. Fueled by this triumph, she surged forward at the Indian Wells Open, and in a thrilling twist, she overcame Belinda Bencic in the round of 16, finally breaking a four-match losing streak against her.
Amid her run in Tennis Paradise, the American has shared her feelings about the Buffalo Sabres’ impressive achievement after Team USA’s Winter Olympics win.
Jessica Pegula Lauds Family-Owned Buffalo Sabres’ Historic Streak
Pegula is competing at the BNP Paribas Open, which is taking place from March 4-15 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Southern California, as the fifth seed. She defeated the former World No. 17 Donna Vekić in the round of 64, then beat Jeļena Ostapenko in the round of 32. She continued her dominance and defeated Bencic in the round of 16 with a final scoreline of 6-3, 7-6 (5).
During her recent interview on the Tennis Channel, Pegula, whose father owns the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, along with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League, shared her thoughts on the Sabres’ continued success. They have become the first team in franchise history with multiple winning streaks of eight-plus games.
She also noted that Sabres NHL star Tage Thompson played for Team USA at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, winning gold after beating Canada in overtime, and that the dominance continues on the Sabres team.
About her amusing conversation with her non-hockey-watching tennis colleagues, Pegula said, “I was like, ‘Guys, you don’t understand. This is a really big deal.’ They don’t really follow hockey. So they didn’t understand it. And I was like, I didn’t have anyone to share that energy with. But, yeah, I’m a big fan.”
“And one of the Sabres was on the team, Tage Thompson, and he won gold. And we’ve been playing amazing. We’ve won eight games since the Olympic break. So hopefully, we’re taking some of that patriotism into our team as well,” Pegula continued.
Jessie Pegula is spilling the tea on USA Hockey and what’s coming up for The Player’s Box 🍵 #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/ut3axCgV4w
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 12, 2026
After winning her match against Bencic, Pegula weighed in on the win, expressing that she couldn’t accept a fifth defeat to the Swiss star, adding, “Had to turn the tables. Today, nobody beats me five times in a row. She’s been a really tough opponent for me, but I feel like since the last I played her, I’m a different player.”
Next up in the quarterfinals, the billionaire heiress faces a tough challenge: a showdown with Australian Open champion and third seed Elena Rybakina.
