American tennis star Jessica Pegula has long faced criticism over claims that her path in the sport has been easier due to her billionaire family background—despite her dedication and work ethic. Addressing the stereotypes, Pegula once said, “People think I have a butler, that I get chauffeured around, that I have a private limo, that I fly private everywhere. I’m definitely not like that.”

Her father, Terrence Pegula, has an estimated net worth of $8 billion (Celebrity Net Worth), built through oil and gas before expanding into a sports empire that includes the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. In a 2021 appearance on the Bills Pod Squad Podcast, Jessica credited him for instilling discipline: “Dad and I are like oil and water on the tennis court—it does not mix well. But he always pushed me to work hard, to outwork somebody. He’s very old school.”

While her father encouraged resilience, Pegula’s mother, Kim, was more hands-on, helping her stay fit and healthy. Earlier this year, Kim told ESPN she once questioned her daughter’s persistence: “She doesn’t have to do this, and her life would be so much easier if she didn’t. But it’s because she loves this sport and she’s truly doing it for herself.”

On the Tennis Insider Club podcast, Pegula revealed that at around 24–25 years old—coming back from injury—her mother asked if she planned to keep playing. That conversation pushed her to take full control of her career. “I basically said, alright, I want to keep doing this, but I make every decision from now on. They were obviously helping me financially… but I told them, you are not involved—zero. Nothing. I need to do this on my own.”

At the time, prize money was scarce compared to the $18.6 million she has now earned. Pegula also spoke about dealing with subpar coaching early in her career when she lacked the freedom to choose. Eventually, she hired her own coach and set her own schedule, a turning point in her progress.

Despite her independence, Pegula—like fellow player Emma Navarro, daughter of billionaire Ben Navarro—continues to face “rich kid” criticism. Former doubles No. 1 Rennae Stubbs pushed back against such claims in 2024: “You can’t buy your way into the Top 10 or a major final without an extraordinary amount of hard work on the tennis court, in the gym, and having mental fortitude and guts!”

Jessica Pegula sheds light on her future plans

Now ranked No. 4 in the world, Pegula turned pro in 2009 and has since won nine singles titles and seven doubles titles. She reached her career-high singles ranking of No. 3 in October 2022, with her best Grand Slam result coming at the 2024 US Open, where she was runner-up.

In the same podcast interview, Pegula admitted to feeling “burnout” last year but says she is enjoying her 2025 season, having already won three titles. As for her career timeline, she was clear, much to bestie Coco Gauff’s grimace: “I will definitely not be playing at 35. I think that is where I for sure have to stop. I think it would be cool to maybe try and make the Olympics because it’s in LA in a couple of years.”

On retirement, she added: “I definitely don’t want to have kids and then come back. I think when I have a kid, I’m done. I admire the women that do that, but that is just not [for me].”

With her form this year and a steely determination to silence critics, Pegula remains a strong contender for another deep run at the US Open.