Jessica Pegula tattoos, explained: Explaining tennis star’s ink seen during the 2024 US Open

From Marketa Vondrousova’s decorative arms to Nick Kyrgios’ vivid back display, tennis’ biggest stars aren’t afraid to get inked up.

World No. 6 Jessica Pegula is no exception. She became the fourth American to win their 2024 US Open quarterfinal matchup Wednesday night after upsetting No. 1 Iga Swiatek in two sets, doing it all with subtle body art.

She is set to appear in her debut Slam semifinals Thursday against unseeded Karolina Muchova. Pegula had competed in and lost six Slam quarterfinals before Wednesday when she guaranteed the tournament’s penultimate round would feature multiple Americans for the first time since 2003.

Here’s everything to know about Pegula’s tattoos, including explaining the tennis star’s ink seen during the 2024 US Open.

MORE: How old is Jessica Pegula?

Jessica Pegula’s tattoos, explained

The 30-year-old tennis player has at least three tattoos, two of which she’s spoken about publicly. 

Jessica Pegula Latin tattoo

On her back underneath her left shoulder, Pegula has a phrase written out and flipped vertically. It says “I will either find a way or make one” in Latin, she revealed on Rennae Stubbs’ show “The Power Hour” in April 2023.

Jessica Pegula paw print tattoo

However, Pegula has expressed that her most meaningful piece of body art is her paw tattoo, an ode to her love for dogs. She got two paws inked inside her left middle finger when she “was like 18” in honor of her first two dogs. Pegula and husband Taylor Gahagen have several dogs as well as a foundation called A Lending Paw which teaches rescue dogs how to be service animals. 

Additionally, Pegula reportedly also has a tattoo that reads “No Fear,” but it’s unclear where it’s located.

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Where is Jessica Pegula from?

Pegula is from Buffalo, N.Y., born to Terry and Kim Pegula, owners of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. With a net worth of over $7 billion according to Forbes, the family is one of the richest in the country. 

She debuted on the professional circuit in 2011, playing doubles in the main draw of the US Open with Taylor Townsend. Since then, Pegula has had her most success in the past four years despite not having a Slam title under her belt yet.

Ranked a career high No. 3 in the world by October 2022, Pegula went as far as the quarterfinals in six Slam appearances from 2021 to 2023, including all four major tournaments. The US Open semifinals marks the farthest she’s survived in any Slam so far in her career and her first push past the second round in any of the majors this year.