American tennis is having a moment. With stars like Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Emma Navarro rising up the ranks, the future looks bright. But their off-court chemistry is just as entertaining as their on-court battles. And like any good friendship, there are playful complaints. Take Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, for example. Gauff jokingly called Pegula “fake” in a WTA interview for ghosting her texts about a movie night. Pegula had crashed Gauff’s interview, only to be hilariously accused of being a bad texter. And now, Pegula has turned her teasing toward another American player—Emma Navarro.
Both Pegula and Navarro are at Indian Wells, but in the midst of the competition, Pegula sat down with the WTA to answer an important question: Who is always late to practice? Without hesitation, the World No. 4 called out Navarro.
“I would bet Emma Navarro because I definitely see her late all the time and she’s late to everything,” Pegula said.
The 31-year-old tennis player wasn’t the only one with an opinion. In the same video, Mirra Andreeva called out Daria Kasatkina, Iga Swiatek picked herself along with British legend Andy Murray, and Paula Badosa jokingly blamed Ons Jabeur for being too nice—saying her habit of greeting everyone makes her late.
Pegula and Navarro have both been on fire. Pegula stormed through the Austin Open, dropping just one set and clinching the title against fellow American McCartney Kessler. And just hours later, Navarro was flawless at the Merida Open, finishing with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Emiliana Arango in the final.
The American tennis players also share something else: billionaire fathers. Pegula’s father, Terry Pegula, made his fortune in oil and gas before expanding into sports, now owning the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. His net worth? A staggering $7.7 billion, ranking No. 373 in the world according to Forbes. Navarro’s father, Ben Navarro, built his empire through Sherman Financial Group, which owns Credit One. He also owns the Cincinnati and Charleston tennis events and is worth an estimated $1.5 billion.
Now, both are hunting for even bigger trophies at Indian Wells. But Pegula’s journey from Austin to California came with a little extra flair.
Jessica Pegula flies her rivals to Indian Wells in style
Instead of enduring a grueling late-night trip, Jessica Pegula made sure the finalists at the ATX Open traveled in style—on her private jet. After winning the singles title in Austin, she could have left immediately, but she stuck around for the doubles final, where Kessler and Zhang Shuai lost to Yuan Yue and Anna Blinkova. The World No.4 then offered them a ride to Indian Wells.
Zhang Shuai, one of the passengers, took to Instagram to express her gratitude. “You know she can leave away right after her singles final, but she is such a selfless and generous girl,” Zhang wrote. “This message is NOT to show I took the jet, just wanted to appreciate and transferring the love.” Blinkova and Yue also shared their appreciation on social media.
With her arrival in the California desert, Jessica Pegula wasted no time getting to work. She breezed past Wang Xinyu and Magda Linette, never dropping more than four games in a set. The 31-year-old is determined to make the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021 and will take on former World No. 3 Elina Svitolina on Tuesday. As for her “always late” American friend? Emma Navarro will battle Donna Vekic on the same day, looking to keep her strong form going.
Two rising stars, two billionaire backgrounds, and one thrilling tournament ahead. Will Pegula and Navarro both make deep runs in Indian Wells?
The post Jessica Pegula Hilariously Exposes 23YO American WTA Pro for One Bizarre Habit That Leaves Everyone in Stitches appeared first on EssentiallySports.