Who is Jessica Pegula’s sister? Key supporter and business partner Kelly
Jessica Pegula is one of the leading tennis players of her generation, not only from an American perspective but a global perspective.
The 31-year-old has reached a career-high of world No 3 on the WTA Rankings and is the winner of nine WTA Tour titles to date, progressing to the 2024 US Open final and reaching the last eight at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
Pegula’s most important supporters throughout her career have been her parents, Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, though her whole family unit has proven key.
And that includes her younger sister, Kelly, who is often spotted supporting the WTA star at tournaments across the globe.
Here, we look at all you need to know about Kelly, and her close bond with her older sister.
Business interests
Pegula’s tennis career has taken off later in her career than most would expect, with the American’s greatest successes coming in her late twenties and early thirties.
And, before reaching the very top of the sport, the WTA star and Kelly in fact owned and ran a restaurant together in their home town of Buffalo.
The sisters opened The Healthy Scratch, a health food restaurant in the city, with smaller brunches and a food truck launched later on.
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The business reportedly closed in 2022, though Kelly has also pursued other business interests outside of the restaurant.
In 2016, she launched her own Buffalo Bills clothing line, with the items and merchandise officially available through the club.
And she is often seen at Bills games, alongside her father Terry.
However, she often travels around with her older sister and has been present at both Wimbledon and the US Open in recent years.
How Kelly saved her mum’s life
The Pegula family were forced to deal with a life-changing illness for mum Kim back in June 2022, with the family matriarch suffering a heart attack.
Kim’s recovery from illness is still ongoing, with struggles with aphasia and memory issues.
However, it was Kelly who ultimately saved her mother’s life, as her sister revealed in a moving first-person piece in The Player’s Tribune in 2023.
“My mom was asleep when my dad woke up to her going into cardiac arrest and she was unresponsive for quite a while,” wrote Pegula.
“My sister gave her CPR until the ambulance arrived. She saved her life.
“Even though she doesn’t like to take credit for this terrible situation, she absolutely saved her life, followed by the critical job performed by the paramedics who arrived and were able to restore a heartbeat.”
