Jessica Pegula Speaks Out on Chinese Fans After ‘Princess of Buffalo’ Gift at China Open

As the tennis tour powers through the Asian swing, weary players are finding new life at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, fueled by the electric devotion of China’s famously passionate fans. From Beijing to Wuhan, the love is loud and lavish, plush toys, hand-painted banners, and fan art crafted with devotion rain down on players, even Western stars, leaving them grinning. “Honestly, it’s the place I’ve come [where] I’ve gotten the most gifts,” Coco Gauff said last year. “You can tell they really take time to give you the gifts and see what you like. They know I like stuffed animals, so I’ve gotten a lot of those.” Now, Jessica Pegula feels that same tidal wave of affection, with gifts echoing her Buffalo roots.

Just hours ago, Jessica Pegula turned her Instagram stories into a celebration of fan love, sharing a glimpse of the extraordinary gifts she received in China. In the first story, she posted a single image capturing three treasures: a photo of her holding a lollipop, perfectly mirroring her iconic post-match press conference moment from this year’s US Open, a letter paired with a novelty item styled like a Heineken but customized with a nod to “J. Pegula,” and a small key ring proudly featuring “The Players Box” podcast symbol, the new show she co-hosts with Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desire Krawczyk. Her caption? “The Chinese fans are unmatched @chinaopen.”

The next story took it up a notch. Pegula stood holding a beautifully crafted Chinese-style paper fan, adding a playful caption that read, “This means princess of buffalo in Chinese, also a gift