‘We Weren’t Super Emotional’ – Jessica Pegula Details How Her Billionaire Parents Influenced Her Personality

Urvi Mehra Wed, August 26, 2026 at 7:07 AM UTC

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Aug 1, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Jessica Pegula (USA) watches a replay between points against Diana Shnaider (not pictured) in a women's singles semifinal on day six of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. © Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jessica Pegula has an inkling as to where her impressive leadership skills may have come from, tracing them back to one of her parents in particular. Her parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, are co-owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, with a combined net worth of $9.3 billion, according to Forbes.

What Jessica Pegula Said About Her Parents’ Personalities

Pegula arrived at the US Open on the back of runner-up finishes at the Mubadala DC Open and the Cincinnati Open. Riding on that momentum, the American will be aiming to clinch her maiden Grand Slam title at the New York Major when the singles contest gets underway on Sunday, August 30.

Ahead of her campaign, Pegula sat down with Jon Wertheim for a Sports Illustrated interview in which she offered insight into her personality.

After being praised for her leadership skills, the 32-year-old attributed the quality to her directness and communication abilities, traits she believes she inherited from her mother, Kim, who has been incapacitated since suffering a cardiac arrest in 2022.

“Well, that’s a nice compliment. I’m very direct, and I think I’m very honest. But I also think I communicate it pretty well, where it’s not taken the wrong way. But I’m definitely pretty direct, and I think I don’t know if I got that from my mom,” Pegula said.

“I want to say I think she was the same way: very direct with what she thought, and I think [she] was pretty thoughtful in the way she always put things, whether it was to employees or to us or stuff around work. So I think I probably got it from my mom,” she added.

The world No. 3 revealed that she and her mother had a different temperament from her father Terry’s more emotional personality, saying, “We weren’t super emotional. I would say my dad’s probably a little bit more emotional. I think my mom and I were definitely more the same personality, like kind of laid back.”

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In contrast to her laid-back demeanor, Pegula shared that her mind typically races during matches and that she often talks to herself on the court.

“I’m very laid back, but at the same time, I’m thinking a lot out on the court, and so I think maybe some people think I just kind of just go with whatever’s happening on the court. But I’m actually thinking quite a bit—like a lot. I talk to myself a lot. I’m constantly running,” she said.

The world No. 3 disclosed that the same trait carried over when she played other sports recreationally, much to the exasperation of her husband, Taylor Gahagen, during golf sessions.

“I think when I’m competing—even when I play other sports for fun—I love to just talk to myself and talk myself through things a lot of the time out loud,” she added. “And that’s where, like my husband, if we’re playing golf, he’s just like, Just hit the ball. I need to talk through things, so maybe it’s a little contradictory with my laid-backness.”

MORE: Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff Applaud Emma Navarro’s Billionaire Parents at Cincinnati Open – ‘You’ve Been Great to Me’

Jessica Pegula has already begun her US Open campaign, competing in the mixed doubles event alongside fellow American Taylor Fritz. The duo failed to make a deep run in the contest, as Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud claimed a 4-2, 4-1 victory in their first-round clash.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”