Top line
America’s super-rich continue to have a strong presence at the top of the tennis world after Jessica Pegula caused a major upset in the quarterfinals of the US Open on Wednesday, advancing to the semifinals along with another billionaire’s daughter.
Other participants in the tournament include the daughters of an oil magnate and a former … (+)
Key data
Sixth-seeded Pegula defeated tournament number one and world number one Iga Swiatek in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) to secure a place in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in her career.
The 30-year-old tennis star is the daughter of Terry Pegula, who owns the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.
On Tuesday, 13th seed Emma Navarro defeated Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-2, 7-5 in her quarterfinal match after an impressive comeback from a 5-1 deficit in the second set.
Navarro, 23, is the daughter of former Citigroup vice president Ben Navarro and reached the quarterfinals after defeating third-seeded Coco Gauff in three sets on Sunday.
Pegula will face 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in her semifinal match on Thursday.
Navarro, who will also play her first Grand Slam semi-final on Thursday, will face world number two and Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus.
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Key quote
Wednesday’s match was Pegula’s seventh appearance in a quarterfinal at any of the four majors. After the match, she said, “There were so many damn times and I just kept losing… I know everyone keeps asking me about this, but I thought, ‘I don’t know what else to do. I just have to get back there and win the match.’ So thank God I did it. And finally – finally! – I can say, ‘Semifinalist.'”
tangent
At a press conference earlier this week, Pegula dismissed rumors about her lifestyle, which she described as “outrageous.” “People think I have a butler, I’m chauffeured. I have a private limousine, I fly everywhere privately. That’s definitely not who I am.” She said people can think what they want, but she finds it funny when she reads such comments about her.
Important background
Pegula has been ranked as high as No. 3 in singles (with six titles) and No. 1 in doubles (seven titles), but has yet to win a Grand Slam title. Navarro, an NCAA singles champion, won her only tour title earlier this year in Australia and has reached her highest ranking of No. 12.
Chances of winning
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka is the favorite to win the tournament with odds of -165, while Pegula and Navarro have odds of +320 and +700, respectively.
Forbes Rating
Terry Pegula is an oil magnate whose net worth Forbes estimates at $7.7 billion. Ben Navarro, whose Sherman Financial Group owns Las Vegas-based bank Credit One, has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion.
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