World

As soon as Jessica Pegula saw the weather forecast for Wimbledon this year, she made sure she had air conditioning where she is staying for the Championships. Pegula, dubbed the world's richest tennis player due to her parents' £5.5bn net worth, has notably opted to stay away from other players when competing at SW19. She suffered a first round exit in 2025 but avoided a repeat this year, beating Darja Vidmanova in straight sets to set up a second round meeting with Sara Sorribes Tormo. And the No.4 seed has found herself making more preparations the further into her career she gets.

"My non-negotiable here, when I knew it was going to be hot was like 'I need an AC unit in the flat'. Like, it's an absolute must. I'm American. I need AC," Pegula said. "I think I think one thing is I've noticed I pack a lot more than I used to, because there's things maybe in my old age that make me feel just better on the road. And it can be anything. It could be like a like one of those things to blend my coffee. Like, I don't feel like going to buy one so I'll bring one from home. It's bringing extra snacks."

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Temperatures around London climbed well above 30 degrees in the week before Wimbledon. While they dipped a little ahead of the first day's play, the air conditioning request is just another element of Pegula's desire for home comforts.

The world No.4 continued: "I was talking to someone that [brings] their slippers. I'm not going to bring my slippers. But, you know, or sometimes a candle or just something that kind of makes you feel that you're not so far away from home. Comforting things.

"I would say that's something this year that I've definitely been travelling with way more stuff. I feel like I'm just like the mum with all of these things. You need this, you need that, you need this? That's something I've noticed."

Pegula has secured a six-figure sum already by booking her place in round two, while there's a seven-figure payday for the finalists. Despite her family's riches, the 32-year-old has gone her own way career-wise and built up a tidy reputation for her play on the court, reaching her first Grand Slam singles final at the US Open in 2024.

The American, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2023, has previously spoken about why she has preferred to stay away from the player hotel. "Oh my gosh, being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me," she said. "I think that's what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, 'I can't do [player hotels] anymore.'

"When you're staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it's so mentally draining. It's not like anyone is a problem.

"But if you were going to work with someone, you wouldn't necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, be in the gym, have lunch, go to the locker room and the physio room with them, and then see them in all the elevators and the hallways.

"I don't think people realise that shouldn't happen, not with the people you're working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you're ready to lose it."

Wimbledon 2026 is just around the corner and Seat Unique has tickets on sale now with VIP access.