While Jessica Pegula is at the 2026 Italian Open, preparing for her Round of 16 clash against Anastasia Potapova, a massive piece of her heart remains back in upstate New York.
The Buffalo Sabres, the NHL franchise owned by her parents, are currently in the midst of a spectacular, drought-breaking playoff run. For the world No. 5, balancing her European tennis career with her favorite team is proving a sleep-depriving challenge.
Jessica Pegula Confesses European Tennis Tour Is Ruining Her Sabres Playoff Experience
The Sabres’ current run is one for their history books. In the Playoffs, they are currently competing in the second round against the Montreal Canadiens, with Montreal leading the series 2-1. Before this season, the team had not made the playoffs since the 2010–2011 season, ending a grueling 14-year playoff drought that was previously the longest active streak in North American professional sports. Now, not only have they reached the postseason, but they have won their opening series and are battling in a deadlocked second round.
Reflecting on this shift in the team’s fortunes, Pegula shared her excitement during a press conference in Rome:
“I think it was like 15 years. We’re actually good. Winning a series is crazy. We had a bad last game, so we need to bounce back tonight. We have a good chance to be in the Conference Finals. That’s been amazing. It’s a bummer I can’t be there. I would give anything to just be at a playoff game. It’s the best. It’s so fun. I love it so much. It’s my favorite thing.”
However, the timing of the Sabres’ historic run couldn’t be worse for Pegula. Competing in the European clay-court swing means dealing with a six-hour time difference. With puck drops regularly scheduled for the evenings, it will be the middle of the night in Italy, making it nearly impossible to catch the games live while staying well-rested for her own matches.
“My gosh, I am so upset that I have not been able to see any of the games,” Jessica said. “I saw one because they played early in Madrid, so technically I could watch. Yeah, that’s been a bummer. I won’t complain. We’re in the playoffs. It’s 1-all. I think we play again tonight. It’s like 2 a.m. or whatever it is. But yeah, that’s been amazing to follow. So much fun.”
In 2011, her parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, purchased the Buffalo Sabres with the dream of bringing a Stanley Cup to a city desperate for a championship. But that was unfortunately the beginning of the longest playoff drought. The family later bought the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 2014, cementing their status as Buffalo sports royalty.
But even before they bought the Buffalo teams, Jessica was a fan. Even while she plays on the hectic WTA Tour schedule, Jessica stands by her team and frequently brings Buffalo culture to the tennis world.
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During her 2023 Australian Open quarterfinal run, she famously wore a No. 3 patch on her skirt to honor Bills safety, Damar Hamlin. She has also arrived at post-match pressers in Sabres beanies and heavily live-tweeting games throughout the NHL’s grueling 82-game regular season.
Carrying the confidence of winning in straight sets in both her opening Round of 64 match against Zeynep Sönmez and Round of 32 against Rebeka Masarova, Pegula will face Potapova on Monday.
