World’s richest tennis star Jessica Pegula explains why she refuses to use same hotel as other players
American tennis star Jessica Pegula has decided against staying in the same hotel as her fellow players at Wimbledon, insisting accommodation can “make or break” a major tournament. The world No. 3 is the richest player in tennis, as her parents Terry and Kim have a net worth of £5.5billion and own a host of sports teams, including NFL team Buffalo Bills.
Jessica has carved her own path in tennis, having won eight singles titles and seven doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She was a finalist at the US Open last year and will be hoping to go further than her quarter-final run at Wimbledon in 2023, next month. And she believes that staying at her preferred hotel, away from other athletes, will be her secret weapon to success at SW19.
“We’re either on the court, or we’re in the hotel room,” Pegula said. “It’s such a big part of our lives, and as I’ve gotten older, a good hotel has become more of a priority.
“When you’re 20 and you’re just starting to travel, you’re not complaining that much: you’re more out there grinding and embracing life on tour. Once you hit 30 and kind of need a better pillow, that stuff honestly becomes really important.”
This year, Pegula has decided against staying in the official tournament hotel and instead is living elsewhere for the duration of the competition, a rogue decision that she thinks will only benefit her.
“Oh my gosh, being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me,” she explained. “I think that’s what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, ‘I can’t do [player hotels] anymore.
“When you’re staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it’s so mentally draining. It’s not like anyone is a problem.
“But if you were going to work with someone, you wouldn’t necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, be in the gym, have lunch, go to the locker room and the physio room with them, and then see them in all the elevators and the hallways.
“I don’t think people realise that shouldn’t happen, not with the people you’re working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you’re ready to lose it.”
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