"Coco made the fatal error of not being as rich as Pegula": Tennis fans quip Jessica Pegula paid for Forbes cover after 30 after 30 feature

Tennis fans jokingly suggested that Jessica Pegula paid to be on the cover of Forbes magazine and expressed dissatisfaction with the absence of Coco Gauff from the "30 under 30" list.

American tennis had a standout year on the WTA Tour with its two main figures, 29-year-old Jessica Pegula and 19-year-old Coco Gauff. Pegula finished the season as world No. 5, while Gauff ended at world No. 3, adding her first Grand Slam title at the US Open – the first American woman to do so since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open.

The Pegula-Gauff duo also finished the year in the top 5 in the doubles rankings, with each reaching the No. 1 spot at some point during the year. In the upcoming January 2024 edition of Forbes, the "30 under 30" list will feature 30 American women under 30 years old, with Jessica Pegula gracing the cover.

Fan reactions to the cover were varied, with many noting Gauff's better year and suggesting that Pegula paid to be included in the list due to her being the daughter of Terry Pegula, the billionaire owner of the Buffalo Bills in the NFL and a prominent figure in the energy industry.

Here are some of the fan comments:

“These lists are a joke and paid for..” some fan wrote. “Not her doubles partner, you know, the American who won the US Open?,” another fan responded. “Coco made the fatal error of not being as rich as Pegula” “Imagine not being born to billionaires smh”

“Great to hear that Pegula aims to give back to the sport as much as she can and help kids get playing tennis but I can’t help but see that Forbes is simply sustaining and reinforcing the tradition of keeping the rich rich and increasing inequality, especially keeping families, who make billions of dollars from oil and gas, at the top of society. Why not show your support for those tennis players that will do the most to get kids active, like those with academies?”