Jessica Pegula returned to the Mubadala DC Open final seven years after winning her first WTA Tour title in Washington.
The 32-year-old American leads Alex Eala 6-4, 1-2 in their rain-postponed championship match. Before Pegula resumes her pursuit of a 12th career singles title, here are five fast facts about the world No. 3.
1. Jessica Pegula’s Parents Own the Buffalo Bills and Sabres
Getty Professional tennis player Jessie Pegula, Black River Entertainment recording artist Kellie Pickler, and CEO of Black River Entertainment Gordon Kerr attend Buffalo Sabres at Black River Entertainment and Sound Stage Studios hosted by Terry and Kim Pegula on March 26, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Pegula was born Feb. 24, 1994, in Buffalo, New York. Her parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
The connection has inevitably produced assumptions that Pegula’s road through professional tennis was easy. She has consistently pushed back against that idea.
“My dad wasn’t born with a lot of money,” Pegula said during the second season of Netflix’s “Break Point,” according to the WTA. “My mom was left on a doorstep and adopted from South Korea. I guess it was kind of the American Dream.”
2. Her Mother’s Health Crisis Changed the Family
Kim Pegula went into cardiac arrest while sleeping in June 2022. Jessica’s sister, Kelly, performed CPR until paramedics arrived and helped save their mother’s life.
Jessica publicly shared the family’s ordeal in a deeply personal essay for The Players’ Tribune. She explained that her mother suffered a significant brain injury and faced a long recovery.
Pegula continued competing through the uncertainty, drawing inspiration from her mother’s fight. She wore a No. 3 patch during the 2023 Australian Open to honor Bills safety Damar Hamlin after his cardiac arrest.
3. Jessica Pegula Is Married and Helps Rescue Dogs
Getty Jessica Pegula of the United States poses with her husband Taylor Gahagen and dog Maddie after defeating Yuliia Starodubstseva of Ukraine during the Singles Final of the Credit One Charleston Open at Credit One Stadium on April 5, 2026 in Charleston, South Carolina.
Pegula married Taylor Gahagen in October 2021. The couple had originally planned to marry a year earlier, but their wedding was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
They share a passion for dogs and created A Lending Paw, an organization that helps rescue dogs receive training to become service animals for people in need.
Pegula also founded the skin care company Ready 24. Her official WTA profile lists golf, sports and design among her interests away from tennis.
4. Knee and Hip Surgeries Nearly Derailed Her Career
Pegula did not follow the smooth trajectory usually associated with an elite junior prospect.
She underwent knee surgery early in her career and later missed most of 2017 following hip surgery. The setbacks repeatedly arrived just as she appeared ready to break into the WTA’s top 150.
“I had knee surgery, I had hip surgery,” Pegula told the WTA in 2019. “They all came at really crappy times.”
Her ranking once dropped outside the top 800, but Pegula worked her way back through lower-level tournaments. She did not enter the top 100 until she was nearly 25, making her rise to the sport’s elite unusually late.
5. Washington Is Where Her Breakthrough Began
Getty Jessica Pegula of the United States holds up the trophy after defeating Camila Giorgi of Italy during the women’s singles final of the Citi Open at Rock Creek Tennis Center on August 04, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Pegula captured her first WTA singles title at the 2019 Washington Open, defeating Camila Giorgi in the final.
That victory opened the door to a career that has included No. 3 rankings in singles and No. 1 in doubles. Pegula reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the 2024 U.S. Open, losing to Aryna Sabalenka.
She returned to Washington in 2026 seeking her third title of the season and the 12th of her career.
For all Pegula has accomplished since 2019, the tournament in the nation’s capital remains the place where her long climb finally turned into a breakthrough.
Jessica Pegula: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know