Jessica Pegula opened up about her relationship with her father, billionaire Terry Pegula, during a recent appearance on Tennis Insider Club. The conversation explored whether Pegula felt she missed out on a normal childhood due to early tennis training, leading her to reveal candid thoughts on her parents’ role in her development.
Jessica Pegula Reflects on Her Early Training and Her Father’s Involvement
When asked if she missed typical childhood experiences because her tennis journey began so early, Pegula gave insight into her upbringing:
“My dad was definitely more of the crazy one, and he definitely put pressure on me, but also like, I wanted it, I liked it, I didn’t mind it. It wasn’t like I was fighting him on it. I really wanted to play tennis. I loved going to my tennis lessons, I loved going to my academy. Like, that was what I wanted to do. And I think they just saw that, and they knew they could push me a little bit. So, I felt like they did a good job of that at that age.”
Her father’s intense approach did not bother her; instead, Pegula embraced the challenge and found motivation in that environment. She described her mid-teen years as “very difficult.”
“That was really hard. I would say like my, like 15, 16, 17 were definitely very difficult for me. Just being a teenager, growing up, I don’t know,” Pegula continued. “That’s where I felt like more pressure from my parents as far as like, what coach are you gonna have? I didn’t like some of the coaches, but they’re kind of running the show at the moment. ’Cause I’m 15 and I didn’t really agree with a lot of the stuff that I was doing, but I was still playing tournaments.”
“And I wasn’t quite excelling that much, where I was like a top junior. But I wasn’t bad, so I was kind of stuck in between. But they were very supportive of like me turning pro. So I turned pro at like 17, and they were like, Hey, if you wanna do this, like we’ll support you. So that was always there, which was great,” she added.
Pegula acknowledged the tension between family guidance and personal opinions but highlighted her parents’ unwavering support when she turned professional.
Pegula’s 2025 Season and A Look At the Cincinnati Open
Pegula has enjoyed a strong 2025 season, compiling a 37–15 record in singles with three titles. She captured titles at the ATX Open, the Charleston Open on clay, and the Bad Homburg Open on grass, showcasing her versatility across surfaces.
Entering the summer hard-court swing, she faced mixed results. Pegula was the top seed at the Citi DC Open but suffered an early exit, falling to Leylah Fernandez 6–3, 1–6, 7–5 in the second round. This loss marked a rare stumble ahead of the US Open and ended her run at a tournament where she won her first WTA title in 2019.
Shifting focus to the Cincinnati Open, Pegula gained momentum early on. She opened with a convincing 6–4, 6–3 victory over Kimberly Birrell in the first round. In the second round, she is set to face Magda Linette on Tuesday.
