Jessica Pegula Flies Fellow Finalists to Indian Wells on Private Jet

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — After her stunning victory at the ATX Open in Austin, Jessica Pegula extended a generous invitation to fellow competitors, flying them to the Indian Wells tournament on her private jet. The act came after Pegula, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, won the singles title against compatriot McCartney Kessler with a score of 7-5, 6-2 on March 3, 2025.

Pegula, daughter of billionaire owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship by offering her private jet to the other finalists, Kessler and Zhang Shuai, who faced challenges in transit to Indian Wells for the WTA 1000 tournament starting on March 6.

Kessler and Zhang, who lost in the doubles final to Yuan Yue and Anna Blinkova, were initially set to endure a complicated travel schedule, which included potential late-night layovers in Los Angeles or flights from Dallas and Houston.

Zhang expressed her gratitude on Instagram, highlighting Pegula’s selflessness. “You know she can leave 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 echoed Zhang’s sentiments, calling Pegula “incredible” and thanking her publicly for the ride. The grateful players noted that without Pegula’s offer, they would have spent at least nine hours traveling to reach Indian Wells.

Pegula has earned over $17 million in prize money throughout her career, but it’s her family’s $7.5 billion net worth that grants her access to such luxuries.

The kindness displayed by Pegula has not gone unnoticed. Yue remarked, “Otherwise, we would all have been on the road for at least nine hours.” The players now anticipate competing in the Indian Wells main draw, with Pegula scheduled to start her campaign later on March 8, after receiving a bye into the second round.

This latest gesture adds to Pegula’s reputation not only as a top competitor in women’s tennis but also as a supportive ally on and off the court. In a surprising twist, Kessler and Blinkova are set to face off against each other in the first round at Indian Wells.