CNN
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American tennis star Jessica Pegula had a parting – or departing – gift for her fellow finalists at the ATX Open: a flight to California.
Pegula defeated compatriot McCartney Kessler in straight sets on Sunday to win her seventh WTA Tour title in Austin, Texas, then invited other players also competing in the tournament that day to fly on her private jet to California for Indian Wells, which begins this week.
That meant waiting until the women’s doubles final had finished before embarking on the roughly 1,200-mile trip, saving those who joined her from a potential late-night transfer in Los Angeles or flights from Dallas or Houston.
“You know she can leave away right after her singles final, but she is such a selfless and generous girl,” Chinese player Zhang Shuai, who was in Sunday’s women’s doubles final at the ATX Open, said in an Instagram post.
Shuai added that her post was her way of “transferring the love” to Pegula, who replied by saying: “You’re too cute.”
Another doubles finalist, Russian Anna Blinkova, shared Shuai’s post, writing: “Thank you Jessie for your kindness and generosity.”
World No. 4 Pegula, the daughter of the Buffalo Bills’ billionaire owners Terry and Kim Pegula, has a bye in the first round of Indian Wells and will take to the court on Friday for her opening match.
Her victory at the ATX Open was her first title since August last year.