NEW YORK — The last time Jessica Pegula faced elimination in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, a headline in the Times of London highlighted the misconceptions surrounding her athletic journey.

“Six quarterfinals, six defeats: Jessica Pegula needs the breakthrough that family wealth can’t provide.”

This harsh perspective, typical of British tabloids, felt misplaced. Sure, her parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, are owners of the Buffalo Bills. Being born into wealth certainly offers a tennis player a level of financial ease that many competing in lower-tier tournaments do not possess. Yet, achieving a spot among the world’s elite tennis players can’t solely be attributed to family fortune.

Pegula has earned her position among the top players through perseverance, making her accomplishments genuinely well-deserved.

Her journey hasn’t been smooth. She only broke into the top 100 in her seventh year on the professional circuit, became a leading player at 27, and faced the label of a Grand Slam disappointment just shy of turning 30.

Now, after experiencing six losses in quarterfinals, Pegula has another opportunity to succeed at the U.S. Open. Following a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win over Diana Shnaider, she’s advanced to the quarterfinals and is poised to rewrite the story of her career while getting closer to her first Grand Slam title. Her next match is against top seed Iga Swiatek on Wednesday.

Pegula reflected, “Each day comes with different variables, but I plan to based my approach on my previous experiences and consider how to mentally prepare better this time. I’m grateful for another chance.”

After her 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinal exit, some criticism was perhaps justified. Pegula had a 4-1 lead in the third set against Marketa Vondrousova and appeared in control before faltering. Vondrousova not only won that match but also the tournament shortly after.

However, it’s crucial to remember that Pegula wasn’t anticipated to make it past the initial weeks of Grand Slams until 2021. Once she managed to reach six quarterfinals over three years, expectations shifted, leading to inquiries about her repeated losses.

Pegula’s assessment of why she struggled led her to make pivotal changes at the beginning of this year. After an unsatisfactory early exit in the Australian Open, she ended her collaboration with longtime coach David Witt, who had supported her during her rise. Shortly after she began to settle with a new coaching team, Pegula suffered a rib injury and was unable to compete during the entire European clay season.

That situation left Pegula questioning whether her chase for more success had veered her off course.

“At that moment, I was second-guessing everything,” she admitted. “My confidence took a hit, but I’ve always managed to bounce back after injuries or set-backs in the past. I focused on my coaching change and tried to find a better balance.”

It seems fair to say Pegula has returned to her previous form, and perhaps even improved.

After a second-round fade at the Olympics, she came back strong, clinching the title at the Canadian Open and reaching the final in Cincinnati, where she was narrowly defeated by Aryna Sabalenka. Pegula has continued her impressive run at the U.S. Open, reaching the quarterfinals without losing a single set. Regardless of her next match result, she’ll exit New York as the highest-ranked American woman.

Pegula expressed confidence, stating, “Coming into the hardcourt season, I believed in my comfort level and my ability to regain my form, which luckily happened. While I didn’t know it would turn out this way, I trusted in my process and my hard work to get to this point. Reflecting on those tough times, I realize I didn’t possess the same belief back then as I do now, and I’m proud I persevered through challenging moments at the start of the year.”

What makes Pegula appealing both on and off the court is her grounded nature, which stands in stark contrast to her family’s affluent background. She chose a challenging path to the upper echelons of women’s tennis and isn’t settling for mere participation in the top 10.

Remarkably, she even commutes to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center via public transport, opting out of the comfort of a courtesy car. With Pegula, one shouldn’t assume anything based solely on her billionaire status.

Pegula expressed her surprise at the assumptions people make about her lifestyle, saying, “Some believe I have a butler, travel in a private limousine, and fly on private jets.” She added, “That’s not how I live my life. It’s amusing to hear what people think. They imagine I have all these luxuries. In reality, I don’t have any of that. Perhaps I should, but I’m not sure if that’s what people would want from me. It can be a bit frustrating because I don’t know anyone who actually lives that way.”

As one of the top players in tennis, she should be evaluated based solely on her game. If she doesn’t succeed in another quarterfinal, it will merely be due to the circumstances of that match. History has shown that Pegula is dedicated to growth and won’t give up until she achieves her goals.

Keep up with Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken