Jessica Pegula’s drama and her mother’s example of struggle

The American tennis player Jessica Pegula has become at the age of 28 one of the great figures in the world of tennis thanks to her sporting successes, which have allowed her to become number 3 in the world in the WTA ranking. However, Pegula’s path to the elite has not been easy, since the American tennis player has had to deal with a very complicated family situation in recent months.

A situation unknown to the general public until this Tuesday Pegula herself published a letter in The Players Tribune under the title ‘I want to talk to you about my mother’ in which she revealed how this ordeal began after the health problem suffered by her mother Kim. “In June of last year I returned to Florida after Roland Garros, where I reached the quarterfinals in the singles draw and the final in doubles. They were two incredible weeks and I entered the Top-10 in the world. But a few days after I got back, I got a call from my sister Kelly. Something had happened to my mother and we took her to the hospital. My father woke up and she didn’t respond for quite some time. My sister did CPR on him until the ambulance arrived. she saved his lifealthough he does not want to take credit, along with the work of the doctors, who managed to stabilize her ”.

An ailment that worried Pegula and her family a lot, since they had to wrap themselves up in the face of what could come, since the cardiac arrest turned into a brain injury. “The hospital found out what was wrong and fixed it, but we were wondering what would happen when he woke up. Our concern went from cardiac arrest to brain injury, not to mention the problems that both bring: trouble breathing, swallowing, or preventing infection. The most frustrating thing about this type of injury is that the outcome is unknown. The experts are based on the time the brain was without oxygen and how it responds to stimuli in the early stages. We lived in the hospital for two weeks, we did shifts and even forced my father to go home to rest, but he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to go back unless my mother went with him. When they say that a day in the hospital equals a week to recover, they are not kidding. We ended up physically and mentally exhausted.”

Despite this, her mother’s situation improved and that allowed Pegula to play at Wimbledon, where she had to face uncomfortable questions about her mother’s health. “In the second week I went back to training because I wanted to play Wimbledon. My dad didn’t want me to play but he knew my mom would be upset if she found out. Little by little my mother got better and she left the ICU. She was conscious but she spoke little although far from her normal state. After many weeks, she was ready to begin her recovery, which she knew would take a very long time. Three friends who are doctors told me that it was a miracle that I was able to recover. At Wimbledon I played with a sinus infection, possibly from stress. Besides I had to deal with speculation and questions about my mother’s health, and even denying the rumors that she had died.

In the letter, Pegula revealed that her mother continues with her recovery, in addition to stating the example of self-improvement that she has been for her throughout her life. “My mother continues with her recovery and I always answer the same thing, that she is improving every day. She has expressive aphasia and significant memory problems. She can read, write and comprehend quite well, but she has trouble finding words to respond. She is difficult to handle and you have to be patient to communicate with her, but I thank God every day that I can do it and the doctors continue to be amazed at her recovery. My mother is the president and owner of the Buffalo Sabers and the Buffalo Bills. She loves to work, she did everything and we always told her that she had to slow down and have time for herself. She was the woman behind my father’s success and he admits it. She went on this journey with him and learned a lot of lessons and broke down a lot of barriers. It also caused the change in the culture, the positivity and the effort of the employees, he gave many their time and effort. She lived it and loved it, and now we realize that that is possibly gone, that he will not be able to be that person ”.

Pegula also confessed that she has always wanted to help her mother with the many tasks she has, although she preferred that she focus on it after her tennis career. “My mom always wanted me to get involved, learn and do what I was doing even though she told me to wait until I finished my tennis career. She always told her that she should give me more responsibility, because she wanted to help, and now I am with my family discussing her care, her therapy and my career as a tennis player. Suddenly the world turns upside down. Our family is into sports teams, business, investing, and my mom wanted to be into everything. A family tragedy came and you have to add all the responsibilities he had. We tried to keep privacy as much as possible but it was very difficult. My father had to assume many responsibilities and it was complicated for him, because the results of his tests were not yet known. Then came more problems with employees, fans, and other responsibilities. I’m not lying when I say they wanted to be left alone. I didn’t want them to know what was happening but I also understood that they were afraid of what was happening to us”.

The American tennis player also spoke of her mother’s support and how she dedicated what, to date, is the greatest success of her career: the title at the WTA 1,000 in Guadalajara. “I won the title, but before the final I couldn’t stop crying in the locker room. They weren’t tears of sadness, but of happiness because I felt that I was going to win. In my speech I dedicated the win to my mom. He wanted her to know that even though it was a horrible six months, he was fighting every day for her. If she fought what she was going through, so could I.. She cried during my speech and the trophy presentation. I have wanted this career since I was seven years old before running sports teams, business or money. My parents have helped me achieve this dream that I am living. Even though we sometimes disagreed, they supported me and got me to where I am today.”