Jessica Pegula faces Sorana Cîrstea today in the Round of 16 at the US Open. The 32-year-old enters the second week of her home major for the fifth consecutive year after continuing her strong form on hard courts.
The 11-time WTA singles title winner has also captured two titles this year, winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and the Credit One Charleston Open.
All About Jessica Pegula’s Father Terry Pegula
Jessica Pegula’s father, Terry Pegula, is an American self-made billionaire businessman, natural gas tycoon, and professional sports team owner who has built a massive sports and entertainment empire.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1951, Pegula graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1973 with a degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering.
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After initially working for Getty Oil, he took a major leap in 1983 by founding his own natural gas exploration and production company, East Resources, using a $7,500 loan from family and friends.
Over nearly three decades, Terry Pegula grew the company into one of the largest privately held energy businesses in the country before selling the bulk of its assets to Royal Dutch Shell in 2010 for $4.7 billion.
Terry Pegula Outbid Donald Trump to Purchase the Buffalo Bills
When Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson passed away in 2014, the team went up for sale, with the bidding war quickly becoming a highly publicized media spectacle.
Terry Pegula outbid multiple groups, including one led by future U.S. President Donald Trump and another backed by Jon Bon Jovi. He ultimately submitted an all-cash $1.4 billion bid to purchase the team and keep the Bills in Buffalo.
The 75-year-old businessman has also faced controversy. One of the most prominent incidents involved a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by NFL journalist Jim Trotter, who alleged that Pegula had made racially insensitive remarks.
Pegula strongly denied the accusations, releasing a public statement in which he expressed “horror and disgust” that his name had been connected to such allegations.
The NFL also disputed Trotter’s claims, with the legal battle eventually coming to an end after Trotter reached a settlement with the league.
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