In a gracious gesture that certainly saved some sore eyes and weary bodies, world No. 4 Jessica Pegula spared her fellow tennis players a dreaded late-night trek to Indian Wells. After Sunday’s matches wrapped up at the ATX Open in Austin, Pegula whisked them away to California on a private jet, ready to face the WTA 1000 tournament.
The daughter of the billionaire owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, Pegula triumphed in the singles final, taking down fellow American McCartney Kessler with a neat 7-5, 6-2 victory. Yet, the day didn’t end there for Pegula. Sticking around for the doubles final saw Kessler and her partner Zhang Shuai defeated by the duo of Yuan Yue and Anna Blinkova.
As the clock ticked towards the start of Indian Wells on Wednesday, Pegula’s offer to fly everyone out to the Californian desert was a game-changer. Zhang couldn’t help but express her gratitude on Instagram. She mentioned that without Pegula’s kind offer, they would have faced grueling overnight plans through Los Angeles or had to trek to nearby Texas airports.
“You know she could have just left after the singles final, but she chose to stay. She truly embodies selflessness and generosity,” Zhang penned on her Instagram, emphasizing that her message was about appreciating the gesture, not simply flaunting the jet ride, aiming to “appreciate and transfer the love.”
Not one to be left out of heartfelt thanks, Blinkova echoed Zhang’s sentiments on her Instagram story, giving a nod to Pegula, whose tennis career has already earned her a whopping $17 million. Yuan Yue, for her part, also took to social media to express her relief and gratitude, noting that the road alternative would have meant at least nine gruelling hours of travel for everyone involved.
In the realm of sports, where the adrenaline of the court often overshadows the camaraderie off it, Pegula’s generous offer stands out, reminding us that sometimes the best plays aren’t always on the court.
Report assistance by Reuters.
