World’s richest athlete, Jessica Pegula necks a beer after US Open loss to help ‘ease the defeat’
World’s richest athlete necks a beer after US Open loss to help ‘ease the defeat’
American tennis player Jessica Pegula drank a can of Heineken at her press conference while fielding questions by the media to help her speed up using the bathroom for drug testing (post-match drugs test), it helped ease the pain of her US Open quarter-final defeat.
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Jessica Pegula drinks a can of Heineken while talking to the media
Pegula is considered the world’s richest tennis player and athlete due to her family’s net worth of around £5.1bn ($6.7 billion.) Pegula is ranked as the No. 3 tennis player in the world in singles competition.
Her run at a home Grand Slam concluded last year after she was defeated by Iga Swiatek 6-3 7-6(4) in the semi-finals of the US Open. After the defeat, the 28-year-old American began to sip on some Heineken as she fielded questions from the media.
Pegula then revealed that she was drinking the beer to initiate having to use the bathroom; that way, she could speed up the process of the drug test taken after the match. However, she also admitted that the beer’s alcohol content helped absorb the loss’s pain.
“I’m trying to pee for doping,” Pegula said to the press. “Although it does help ease the loss!” She continued by expressing her pain from the loss and how it was challenging to find positivity during such a low moment.
“I wish I could have done it here at my home Slam, but I guess not. I wish I didn’t have to play Iga every quarter-final or Ash Barty, who seem to be the two people who don’t really lose that often. “I mean, I had a great year at the Slams. I know there’s still some tournaments left. I’m a little deflated right now. I just wish it would have been different tonight.”
Jessica is the daughter of Terry and Kim Pegula, the family who owns the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. They also own the Rochester Americans in the AHL and the National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits and Rochester Knighthawks. The family also owns Pugula Sports and Entertainment, which houses all its sports entities into one asset. It is run by Kim, the company’s President and CEO.
![Pegula was left deflated by her US Open quarter-final defeat](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27940489.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_2022-US-Open-Day-10.jpg)
“I’m like f*** three quarter-finals, it just sucks. I wish I could have done it here at my home slam but I guess not. I wish I didn’t have to play Iga (Swiatek) at every quarter-final or Ash Barty.
“It sucks. I had a great year at the slams but I’m a little deflated right now. I’m not really happy. It just sucks to lose.
“It could have been different tonight, but I’m sure tomorrow I’ll wake up and see more of the positives for sure.” Her father Terry has a net worth of £7billion ($8.1bn), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Jessica is one of five children.
![Pegula waves goodbye to the Flushing Meadows crowd after losing to Iga Swiatek](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27940486.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_2022-US-Open-Day-10.jpg)
Pegula has been a professional tennis player for 11 years and has won £2.2m ($2.53m) this season alone and has earned £4.6m overall ($5.33m).
“I have never wanted people to think I was given things,” she told BBC Sport. “I think I have definitely earned my stripes in the tennis world. There are people on the outside who maybe don’t understand, who make assumptions.”