While some tennis fans consider Jessica Pegula the “world’s richest tennis player” because of her family ties, her coach says fans completely misunderstand what drives her, regardless of whether the optics sometimes tell a different story.
Pegula has quietly built one of the most consistent resumes on the WTA Tour as the No. 7 player in the world, but has faced criticism for appearing too calm on the court when matches turn against her. After losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of the U.S. Open, Pegula turned to comedy in the defeat by posting a selfie with a honey deuce drink with the caption, “When you lost 4 points on serve in the 3rd but you lost the match.”
Following her recent loss, Pegula faced criticism from fans who often questioned her fight and claimed she lacked the passion of her tennis rivals. Her longtime coach Mark Knowles disagreed, saying her calm demeanor hides the real intensity of her competitive spirit.
“She’s a fiery competitor inside,” Knowles said. “People always ask her to be more outward and outgoing on the court, but that’s not her personality. But inside, there’s a burning desire to achieve and compete.”
Knowles also explained how Pegula’s support team, including coach Mark Merklein and fitness trainer John Opfer, tries to keep a relaxed environment while finding the right balance of bringing out their intense sides “to get the best out of Jess.”
To Knowles, the outside chatter about her motivation misses the point.”She is who she is, and that’s why she’s been successful,” he said.
“The idea that her background makes her soft or that her calmness means she doesn’t care is way off base. There’s more fire in her than people realize.”
Pegula has reached multiple Grand Slam quarterfinals and cracked the top five in the rankings, but tennis fans can’t look beyond her parents’ ownership of the Buffalo Bills, which fans suggest has handicapped her hunger to win. The criticism appeared after the 2023 U.S. Open, where she lost a semifinal to Madison Keys despite leading by a set.
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Pegula was criticized for looking passive, and critics called her performance “lacking urgency.” While an outlet claimed she was in tears after the loss, she clarified this with a message assuring fans’ claims.
“I definitely wasn’t crying. I just got waxed in like an hour,” she said. “I’ve got to go play doubles in an hour. I was like, Okay. Anyways.”
Pegula was the first WTA player this season to win titles on hard courts (2025 ATX Open), grass (2025 Bad Homburg Open), and clay (2025 Charleston Open) in the same season. She has become a mainstay of the second week of majors and holds wins over Iga Swiatek, Emma Navarro, Emma Raducanu, and Elina Svitolina this season.