Buffalo, New York-born and bred, tennis star Jessica Pegula’s second love is Buffalo Bills football. She says seeing her Bills exit the playoffs after picking them to “go all the way” was difficult.
During our interview in the middle of January, via email, she said that losing a contentious playoff game after a 12-win season is always a bummer.
“Playoffs are so tough! Every team is fighting so hard, so you never know what can happen,” she said about Buffalo’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Jan. 17. And despite the momentary open question about who will be the Bills’ next coach, she thinks the future is bright, adding, “I have confidence in our team.”
Pegula is not only an avid Bills fan but also the daughter of Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula. She currently resides in Boca Raton, Florida.
And while the NFL season may be over for Bills fans, the future is bright for Pegula herself. The WTA’s world No. 6 player advanced to face No. 9 Madison Keys at the Australian Open Sunday, Jan. 25. Yesterday, Pegula knocked out the fellow American player and the tournament’s defending champion in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
In defeating Keys, Pegula advances to the Australian Open quarterfinal and faces American and world No. 4-ranked Amanda Anisimova on Tuesday.
Pegula made her way to the Australian Open’s fourth round after three straight two-set wins over Anastasia Zakharova (6-2, 6-1) on January 18, American Mccartney Kessler (6-0, 6-2) on Jan. 21, and Oksana Selekhmeteva (6-3, 6-2) on Friday.
When I asked Pegula about who she prefers to play and how she matches up against the other elite players in the WTA, she said that she doesn’t have a perfect rival.
“It’s hard to say because when you play a top player, there’s not a lot of room for error. Sometimes I feel better on certain days depending on how I’m playing. I think Aryna Sabalenka and I always have really entertaining matches, even though I don’t always win. I think we tend to bring out a really high level. I also have a decent record against fellow Americans.”
Thus far, the 31-year-old has been a finalist at the US Open and won nine WTA singles titles. Her first tournament win came in 2019, when she nabbed top honors at that summer’s Washington Open. Two years later, she won her first WTA1000 event, the 2022 Guadalajara Open. After that, Pegula won two more major titles each of the next two years, and won three last year, picking up silverware at the Austin Open, the Charleston Open, and Germany’s tournament on grass, the Bad Hamburg Open.
When it comes to Grand Slam tournaments, Pegula says Flushing, New York, is where she prefers to play the most. “The US Open is my favorite. I love being in the USA and playing in front of an American crowd! It’s always so much fun.”
Pegula, who also has an impressive seven career doubles titles, was ranked the world’s No. 1 doubles player for four weeks in the fall of 2023, nabbing the No. 1 spot September 11, 2023, along with Coco Gauff, the current No. 3 singles player.
Sound routines, sound tennis mind
Pegula says that travelling all over the globe as a part of the WTA’s tour season is exhilarating on a day-to-day basis, but can be tiring over the long haul. As a result, she says that establishing routines is essential.
“I’m intentional about the basics – fueling well, staying hydrated, prioritizing recovery, and getting good sleep. Creating a strong sleep environment is a big part of that for me, especially when I’m on the road.”
Since sleep is so important to the nine-time title winner, she has recently partnered with Sweden-based Blueair. The global air wellness brand makes portable air purifiers, humidifiers, and other sleep-tech products. Pegula says that she takes her Blueair Restful air purifier and DreamWell purifier on the road with her.
I use the Blueair Mini Restful and DreamWell to help with that.”
Lara Kerbaj, Blueair’s Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, said that the company is excited to work with such a seasoned tennis pro.
“Jess is a perfect match for Blueair because she lives under extreme conditions — travel, climate, high-pressure tournaments,” said Kerbaj. “(Pegula) thrives in this world, and she knows high performance isn’t about perfection; it’s about creating the right conditions and rituals to thrive, and that includes Blueair to control what she can.”
Pegula adds that controlling your home and sleep environments is critical to any top-performing professional athlete.
“You can’t control the conditions of a match,” Pegula said, regarding such factors as the crowd, weather, or how a current opponent plays. “But you can control how you rest and recover. Sleep is where I reset, and that’s why I’m excited for this partnership with Blueair to control what I can.”
Blueair announced the partnership on January 21.
Aside from her tennis and self-care routines, another thing that contributes to Jessica Pegula’s well-being, she said, is her dogs. She and her husband, Taylor Gahagen, have three dogs, including an Australian Shepherd named Maddie.
“(I am a) huge dog lover! We also have three dogs of our own that always keep us busy.”
Read Frye’s interviews with Billie Jean King and Genie Bouchard.
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