Jessica Pegula has made a devastating announcement about her dog, Tucker. She revealed on Thursday, May 22, that her pet passed on while she was on tour in Europe.
Just a day before breaking the unfortunate news, on Wednesday, the American was seen competing at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, where she was the top seed. Pegula suffered an opening-match loss at the tournament, leaving her fans confused about her form.
Jessica Pegula About Her Dog Tucker: ‘Everyone Knows My Dogs Are a Huge Part of My Life’
In the emotional message, Pegula said that Tucker’s death was sudden, and she contemplated sharing the news with her fans and supporters.
“Unfortunately, on Tuesday we lost Tucker in just under a few hours—out of nowhere. My heart is filled with so much sadness. I didn’t even want to post this, but everyone knows how my dogs are a huge part of my life,” she said.
Tucker was Jessica Pegula and her husband, Taylor’s, chocolate Labrador, who often featured in the World No. 3’s stories on social media. Pegula, a known dog lover, also has two other dogs, Des and Maddie, a mini-Australian shepherd. Meanwhile, she lost her German shepherd, Dexter, in 2023.
“If someone were to ask me how the pups were doing back home, I’d burst into tears. We love you and miss you so much. Not even 2 years since we lost Dex. I hope you’re with your favorite brother in doggie heaven,” Pegula wrote on Thursday on Instagram.
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Jessica Pegula Recently Revealed How She Manages Touring and Being a Dog Mom
Jessica Pegula’s love for pets is no secret. She’s also founded a charity with her husband called “A Lending Paw” that aims to connect people in need with rescued and trained service dogs.
The American tennis player often partakes in off-court activities involving dogs during tournaments, and her pets occasionally accompany her while traveling around the world. During a February interview with Sports Illustrated, she revealed how she assures her pets’ comfort while being separated.
“I try to do the best I can as far as making sure they stay with other people they know so they don’t have too much anxiety when being separated,” Jessica Pegula said. “Luckily I have a lot of family and friends around that they are familiar with.”
MORE: Jessica Pegula Has Completely Confused Fans With Her Strasbourg Exit: ‘What Is Going On?’
She added that her love for dogs goes back a long way.
“When I was a kid, I just always had it in my mind what dogs I wanted. I would love learning about them, and not just dogs but animals in general. At one point, I wanted to be a Veterinarian.”
After her announcement on Thursday, Pegula received numerous emotional messages from her colleagues and fans. The player is expected to resume her campaign at the 2025 French Open, where she is the third seed. She begins her journey against Anca Todoni in the first round.
