Jessica Pegula enters the Australian Open and takes over Blueair partnership

Born and raised in New York, tennis star Jessica Pegula’s second love is Buffalo Bills football. She says it was hard to see her Bills exit the playoffs after picking them to “go all the way.”

During our interview in mid-January, via email, she said losing a controversial playoff game after a 12-win season is always a shame.

“Playoffs are so tough! Every team fights so hard, so you never know what can happen,” she said of Buffalo’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Jan. 17. And despite the currently outstanding question of who the Bills’ next coach will be, she thinks the future is bright, adding, “I have confidence in our team.”

In addition to being an avid Bills fan, Pegula is also the daughter of Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula. She currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

And while the NFL season may be over for Bills fans, the future looks bright for Pegula herself. The WTA world No. 6 player advanced to face No. 9 Madison Keys at the Australian Open on Sunday, January 25. Yesterday, Pegula eliminated the compatriot and the defending champion of the tournament in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

By beating Keys, Pegula advances to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and will face American and world number 4 Amanda Anisimova on Tuesday.

Pegula reached the fourth round of the Australian Open after three straight two-set victories over Anastasia Zakharova (6-2, 6-1) on January 18, American McCartney Kessler (6-0, 6-2) on January 21 and Oksana Selekhmeteva (6-3, 6-2) on Friday.

When I asked Pegula who she prefers to play and how she stacks up against the other elite players in the WTA, she said she doesn’t have a perfect rival.

“That’s hard to say because when you play against a top player there isn’t much room for mistakes. Sometimes I feel better on certain days depending on how I play. I think Aryna Sabalenka and I always have very entertaining matches, even if I don’t always win. I think we tend to put out a very high level. I also have a decent record against compatriots.”

So far, the 31-year-old has been a finalist at the US Open and won nine WTA singles titles. Her first tournament victory came in 2019, when she took top honors at the Washington Open that summer. Two years later, she won her first WTA1000 event, the 2022 Guadalajara Open. Pegula then won two more major titles each of the next two years, and three last year, taking silver at the Austin Open, the Charleston Open and the German grass tournament, the Bad Hamburg Open.

When it comes to Grand Slam tournaments, Pegula says Flushing, New York, is where she prefers to play. “The US Open is my favorite. I love being in the US and playing in front of an American crowd! It’s always so much fun.”

Pegula, who also has a whopping seven doubles titles to his name, was ranked as the world’s No. 1 doubles player for four weeks in the fall of 2023 and reached the No. 1 spot on September 11, 2023, along with Coco Gauff, the current No. 3 singles player.

Good routines, healthy tennis mind

Pegula says traveling around the world as part of the WTA tour season is exciting on a day-to-day basis, but can be exhausting in the long run. That’s why she says establishing routines is key.

“I’m consciously focusing on the basics: fueling properly, staying hydrated, prioritizing recovery and sleeping well. Creating a strong sleep environment is a big part of that for me, especially when I’m on the road.”

Because sleep is so important to the nine-time title winner, she recently teamed up with Sweden-based Blueair. The global brand Air Wellness makes portable air purifiers, humidifiers and other sleep tech products. Pegula says that she takes her Blueair Restful air purifier and DreamWell air purifier with her on the road.

“When you’re competing and traveling all the time, small, consistent habits really add up and make me feel more confident and prepared when I step on the court. I use the Blueair Mini Restful and DreamWell to help with that.”

Lara Kerbaj, Blueair’s Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, said the company is excited to be working with such a seasoned tennis professional.

“Jess is a perfect fit for Blueair because she lives in extreme conditions – travel, climate, high-pressure tournaments,” said Kerbaj. “(Pegula) thrives in this world, and she knows that high performance isn’t about perfection; it’s about creating the right conditions and rituals to thrive, and that includes Blueair to define what she can do.”

Pegula adds that controlling your home and sleep environment is crucial for any elite athlete.

“You can’t control the circumstances of a match,” Pegula said, over factors like the crowd, the weather or how a current opponent plays. “But you can control how you rest and recover. Sleep is where I reset, and that’s why I’m excited about this partnership with Blueair to control what I can do.”

Blueair announced the collaboration on January 21.

In addition to her tennis and self-care routines, another thing that contributes to Jessica Pegula’s well-being is her dogs. She and her husband, Taylor Gahagen, have three dogs, including an Australian Shepherd named Maddie.

“(I’m a) huge dog lover! I also run a charity with my husband called A Lending Paw, where we raise money for service dogs that can be trained for people with disabilities. We also have three dogs that always keep us busy.”

Read Frye’s interviews with Billie Jean King And Spirit Bouchard.

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