![\"Jessica](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/jessica-pegula-6438789.jpg\" "\\"Jessica")
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Jessica Pegula was welcomed warmly by fans in China for the Billie Jean King Cup (Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
Great Britain are eyeing up the Billie Jean King Cup final, but the USA and Jessica Pegula<\/a>, heiress to a billion-pound fortune, stand in their way. The Laver Cup is also underway<\/a>, and Novak Djokovic<\/a> is nowhere to be seen, having been indirectly branded “finished” by John McEnroe<\/a>.<\/p>\n After breezing past Japan<\/a>, a British team made up of Katie Boulter<\/a>, Sonay Karal, Fran Jones and Jodie Burrage are facing the USA in the semi-finals. The Americans are led by world No. 7 Pegula, who showed her kind and sentimental side after being given a gift by a fan in Shenzhen. The sport has seen a handful of other goings-on, including McEnroe taking an indirect swipe at Djokovic, one of Pegula’s team-mates being booed and the great Roger\u00a0<\/a>Federer’<\/a>s lucrative business growing, as Express Sport brings you all the latest stories from the world of tennis.<\/p>\n Stay up-to-date with the latest Tennis news Join us on WhatsApp<\/a><\/p>\n Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p>\n Jessica Pegula shows true colours<\/p>\n Despite losing her singles match against Elena Rybakina, Pegula combined with Taylor Townsend in USA’s quarter-final clash with Kazakhstan to give them a 2-1 victory overall at the BJK Cup. After the match in Shenzhen, Pegula posted a heartwarming gift that she received from a fan after the match, a keychain emblazoned with a picture of her dog Maddie.<\/p>\n She commented on Instagram<\/a>: “The cutest little keychain of my dog Maddie fan from a Chinese fan,” showing a picture of the present. And, despite being the heiress to her family’s \u00a35.5billion fortune, she shared another photo of a glass container filled with bracelets and other trinkets given to her by supporters, showing her classy nature.<\/p>\n “I also always save all the little bracelets and gifts I get, so keep them coming!” she posted. Pegula’s family made their fortune through father Terry’s oil and gas business, and they own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.<\/p>\n Pegula was gifted a keychain by a fan (Image: Instagram)<\/p>\n Taylor Townsend booed for social media posts<\/p>\n Pegula’s partner in the decisive doubles victory against Kazakhstan, Townsend, has not endeared herself with locals, however. Fans booed her when she entered the arena on Thursday after she was accused of making insensitive comments on social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I’m just here doing recovery and I’m honestly just so shocked at what I saw in the dinner buffet. As I go back and I look and I’m like, these people are literally killing frogs, bullfrogs,” posted Townsend to Instagram<\/a> after arriving in China.<\/p>\n To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community<\/a> or tennis newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n “And turtles? And the fact it’s all stewed up with like chillis and peppers and onions. Oh, you really made this a dish? And then you’ve got the sea cucumbers just staring there like, with the noodles. The only thing we’ve eaten.”<\/p>\n Townsend was accused of being insensitive to the cultural differences in China and received backlash online. When she entered the court in Shenzhen, some booes rang out. The American later issued an apology online, saying: “Hi everybody, I just wanted to come on here and apologise sincerely from the bottom of my heart.”<\/p>\n Townsend came under fire for her comments (Image: Getty)John McEnroe labels Novak Djokovic ‘human’<\/p>\n While heaping praise on the next generation of tennis greats, American icon McEnroe indicated that he thinks Djokovic’s time atop the sport of tennis is dwindling, and he is no longer superhuman.<\/p>\n Speaking to the Tennis Channel, McEnroe described Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> and Jannik Sinner<\/a> as a “breath of fresh air” but also admitted that the days of the big three, Djokovic, Roger Federer<\/a>, and Rafael Nadal<\/a>, are now truly over.<\/p>\n “You talk about a breath of fresh air when we desperately needed it,” began McEnroe. “When we thought, ‘Oh my God, what are we going to do? These three guys are finished.’<\/p>\n “‘Novak looks human all of a sudden.’ So to have him (Alcaraz) and Jannik come in, and now the other guys got to chase and try to catch up, it’s really awesome.”<\/p>\n Djokovic’s era of tennis dominance is over, says McEnroe (Image: Getty)Roger Federer surprised by growth of shoe empire<\/p>\n Even in retirement, Swiss legend Federer continues to be successful. The tennis icon invested in shoe brand On Running in 2019, receiving three percent equity. The brand’s popularity has since soared, and it is now worth an estimated \u00a39bn, meaning Federer’s share is worth \u00a3270m.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/jessica-pegula-6438804.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/p>\n![\"Townsend](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/taylor-townsend-6438809.jpg\" "\\"Townsend")
<\/p>\n![\"McEnroe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/novak-djokovic-of-team-europe-shakes-hand-with-john-mcenroe-6438810.jpg\" "\\"McEnroe")
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