1 week Ago By Charlie Gordon
Jessica Pegula 's bank balance has received another healthy boost following her victory at the Charleston Open. The American, who was born into a billionaire family, defeated Sofia Kenin in Sunday's final to clinch the eighth WTA Tour title of her career, and her first on a clay court. Pegula's family owns NFL team Buffalo Bulls, NHL side Buffalo Sabres and National Lacrosse League outfit Buffalo Bandits.
With a net worth touching nearly £6billion, her father Terry is among the richest people on the planet. Money isn't hard to come by in the Pegula household, but world No. 4 Jessica has earned plenty of her own during a solid career on the professional circuit.
Last year's beaten US Open finalist has picked up more than £13million in prize money, and another £127,000 was added to that total in Charleston over the weekend. Pegula defeated Sofia Kenin 6-3 7-5 to clinch the title and the top prize, with an impressive second-set fightback sealing the result. It looked as though Kenin would force a deciding set when she opened up a 5-1 lead in the second, but Pegula won the next six games on the spin to seal her second title of the year, having also prevailed at the ATX Open last month.
"To be able to come here this week after a long two weeks in Miami and take the title is just incredible," said the 31-year-old. "In the second set, I just wanted to hold, I just wanted to tell myself to get momentum for the third, because coming into a third like that never feels good. I honestly didn't think I was going to break her twice, but luckily I could play some good tennis.
" Pegula wasn't the only billionaire influence on this year's Charleston Open. The tournament is owned by fellow player Emma Navarro's super-rich dad Ben, who has an estimated net worth of £3.75bn.
A win would therefore have been fairytale stuff for Navarro, but she was knocked out in the quarter-finals against Amanda Anisimova before Pegula powered on to the title. The victor was full of praise for the spectacle laid on by the Navarro family, saying: "I think the fans and just the hospitality of everything makes it feel kind of like you’re just playing at home, which I really like. It’s fun.
It’s fun because we know the city so well, too. Yeah, it feels nice.".
