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Through Damar Hamlin, Bills, Jessica Pegula has special bond with Cincinnati at W&S Open

shelby dermer, cincinnati enquirer
·4 min read

MASON, Ohio — After a quick turnaround from winning the Canadian Open, WTA star Jessica Pegula didn't realize the added layer of significance that came with arriving in Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open this week.

"It's weird − that seems like so long ago," Pegula said.

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Over seven months ago, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into sudden cardiac arrest after making a tackle in the first quarter of a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. While paramedics rushed on the field, ultimately saving Hamlin's life, Pegula, the daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres Owner Kim Pegula, sat on a bench in Sydney, Australia awaiting a mixed doubles match.

Until suffering cardiac arrest on her birthday in June, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres co-owner Kim Pegula, a part-time Boca Raton resident, served as president of both organizations. Her daughter, professional tennis player Jessica Pegula, revealed that while Kim is working hard in her rehabilitation, the family recognizes she may never fully recover.

Little did the world know, it was a tragic, full-circle moment for the 29-year-old tennis star. In June 2022, Kim went into cardiac arrest and Pegula's sister, Kelly, performed CPR until an ambulance arrived.

When she learned of Hamlin's incident, her mother was on her mind and felt the word needed to get out.

"It was just weighing on my mind. It was so bizarre, 'why is this happening?'" Pegula said. "There were so many things, so I just wrote it down and needed to get it out."

'It just all came together.'

Just a few weeks after Hamlin's life was saved at the University of Cincinnati, Pegula released an essay in The Players' Tribune titled, "I Want to Talk to You About My Mom." In it, she detailed her mother's sudden cardiac arrest, her sister's inclination to become CPR certified three months before it happened, her mother's recovery and her initial reaction to hearing of the Hamlin news before her match.

"I remember telling one of my teammates, 'I am a little freaked out right now, this is too close to home, and I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack," Pegula wrote.

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, hits a forehand to Martina Trevisan, of Italy, during the Western & Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, hits a forehand to Martina Trevisan, of Italy, during the Western & Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.

Pegula has always enjoyed writing and decided to release the details of her mom's incident when it continued to weigh on her.

"When I feel like there's something that's really bothering me, I'll write it out and it just all came together," Pegula said. "I knew exactly what I wanted to do. It was an intuition, therapeutic thing that just happened. It's been really cool to see how it's touched so many people."

Return to Cincinnati

Pegula was invited to a few charity events held by Hamlin but couldn't attend due to the tour. It's one of the many positives, along with several million dollars in donations, a nationwide campaign to become CPR certified, among others, to come from something so traumatic.

"Some of the people I know here in Cincinnati really felt that connection," Pegula said. "It's like a weird mix of emotions. It's cool to have a bond with a city."

Pegula noticed Hamlin's Chasing Ms CPR Tour, which stopped at UC in July, and said the campaign has reached the WTA Tour circuit, as well. Earlier this month, Coco Gauff told Pegula she got certified and it took her 90 minutes. In the Cymbiotika San Diego Open next month, a doctor there will train players, staff and others who want to become CPR certified.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin speaks with Ebonie Johnson following a hands-only CPR training event hosted by his Chasing M’s Foundation, Saturday, July 22, 2023, at Tangeman University Center on the campus of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati. Johnson suffered a heart attack while on the field earlier this year while attending Stebbins High School in Dayton, Ohio.

"Getting more people to do that is amazing and it's something that should happen," Pegula said. " Even though it was horrible, something special came out of it."

Pegula rallies for 2nd-round win on Wednesday

On the court, Pegula, ranked No. 3, survived a second-round scare on Wednesday morning in her first Western & Southern Open match.

Pegula dropped the first set to Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan on center court and had her serve broken in the second set with score tied 2-2. Pegula went on to win 10 of the final 13 games to take the match − 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 − to advance to the Round of 16.

Jessica Pegula, of the United States, serves the ball to Martina Trevisan, of Italy, during the Western & Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
Jessica Pegula, of the United States, serves the ball to Martina Trevisan, of Italy, during the Western & Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.

Pegula improved to 18-0 all-time in Round of 32 matches at WTA 1000 tournament.

Pegula said the conditions were different in Mason and the court was playing fast. She switched to a different racquet (after breaking her first one), which allowed her to put more strength into the ball while keeping it in play.

Pegula, a two-time Western & Southern Open quarterfinalist (2020, 2022), advances to the Round of 16 to face either Elise Mertens or Marie Bouzkova.

Pegula is bidding to become the third player (Serena Williams, Simona Halep) to win a title in Canada and reach the Western & Southern Open final.

"I've always loved playing here," Pegula said in her on-court interview. "It's lots of fun to come back here as the No. 1 American."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'It's really special.' WTA star Jessica Pegula's bond with Cincinnati