Jessica Pegula’s recent comments have angered fans online. She kicked off the clay season on a great note by successfully defending her WTA 500 title at the Charleston Open. Pegula beat Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtseva 6-2, 6-2 in Sunday’s final. The win also marked the first time Pegula won a match in the tournament without dropping a set.
With two WTA titles under her belt in 2026, the American will focus on the European claycourt swing, culminating with the French Open in Paris, France.
During the on-court presentation ceremony in Charleston, besides sharing her thoughts on the match, Pegula was asked about her earlier comments on increased prize money ($354K) this year. She joked that it should have taken effect last year when she won her first title here.
“Yes, that is true, Andrew. Thanks. I didn’t forget. I didn’t forget,” Pegula responded to the presenter’s question about the increased prize money.
Fans were quick to notice Pegula’s comments and voiced their reactions on social media, wondering whether Pegula really needed that money, given that she is the apparent heir to a billion-dollar family business.
“Making jokes about Prize Money to a Billionaire,” one fan commented.
“Pegula is mad greedy for being excited for the increase in prize money when she’s inheriting all that money,” another fan commented.
“Millionaires talking about increased payouts will forever be tacky AF. I like Pegula, but coming from a wealthy family makes this even worse. It’s not cute. Not charming. It’s just bad form,” yet another fan commented.
“Greed!” one fan commented.
“Does she really need the money,” another fan commented.
“What she wouldn’t give for that to be a Grand Slam,” yet another fan commented.
Jessica Pegula Dubs Charleston Open as the Best Tournament
In her speech, Pegula began by applauding her opponent’s courage and her amazing streak of results over the past week that led to the summit clash. Next, she thanked her team, noting that the WTA 500 event in Charleston was the best and that she and her team love being here every single year.
“I’d like to thank my team, my coach, Mark, my husband, Taylor, who is actually outside with my dog right now, but he is here. Stokey in my box, Riley there. Thank you, guys, for supporting me all week. We went. I really put you through a lot this week. It was a lot. I don’t know how many hours I spent on court, but it was way too much,” Pegula said.
“But thank you, guys, for your support all week. It’s been awesome. And thank you to the tournament. This tournament is really the best tournament, honestly. We enjoy it so much. Thank you to Ben for helping put on this event and for upping the prize money, for setting the standard very high,” she added.
Pegula will skip the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and play the Mutua Madrid Open (WTA 1000), starting April 20.
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