Jessica Pegula US Open preparation has centred on recovery, collagen supplementation and the particular energy that New York brings out in her, the 18-time WTA title holder has said ahead of the tournament beginning on 23 August. Pegula, 32, told Popsugar that playing in front of a New York crowd remains a unique motivating force, one she has never taken for granted.
‘New York is crazy about their sports teams, crazy about anything,’ she said. ‘Being from New York state, being an American, and now being one of the top Americans over the last couple years, we have so much fan support. Not everyone gets to experience that. I think that has just always driven me to do really well there.’
Bills fans filling the Arthur Ashe stands
Raised in Buffalo, Pegula views the Arthur Ashe courts as something close to home ground. Her parents own the Buffalo Bills, and that football fanbase has travelled with her. ‘Buffalo is not known for being a tennis town,’ she said. ‘But you get so many sports fans there that come, and they’re like, “Well, you’re from Buffalo and we’re Bills fans, so we had to come to the US Open and watch you.”‘ The result is a reliable presence in the stands rooting for her at Flushing Meadows, regardless of the round.
The WWD confirmed the tournament runs from 23 August to 13 September at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, with the women’s final scheduled for 12 September and the men’s final the following day.
Jessica Pegula US Open preparation and the collagen partnership
Recovery sits at the core of Pegula’s pre-tournament routine. She relies heavily on collagen, specifically Vital Proteins, for joint mobility during a schedule that can run to 11 months of competition on hard surfaces. ‘With our tennis schedule, it’s such a long year… we play so many weeks and you want to make sure that you feel your best every single week,’ she said. The demands of running and pounding on a surface for that length of time make recovery not a luxury but a necessity, in her view.
The partnership sits within a broader commercial context. According to The Healthy, Vital Proteins is back for a second year as the Official Collagen Partner of the US Open and Presenting Sponsor of the Mixed Doubles Championship, as part of a new multi-year agreement. The arrangement aligns Pegula’s personal recovery routine with one of the tournament’s headline commercial relationships.
Pegula came close to the title in 2024 before Aryna Sabalenka took it. She heads into this year’s draw with clear ambition to go further, and with a home-crowd advantage that few players in the draw can match.
Serena Williams’s return adds an unpredictable variable
One subject generating considerable discussion in the build-up is the possibility of Serena Williams competing. Pegula was candid about what that prospect means for the tournament’s atmosphere. ‘It’s just crazy that she’s back,’ Pegula said. ‘I think it’ll be interesting to see her back on the hard courts… I know she got a little injured during Wimbledon, so we’ll kind of see physically [how she’s recovered]. I think for her, it’s all physically if she can manage things.’
Whatever Williams’s draw position or form, Pegula believes her presence reshapes the event. ‘She just brings a different aura and a different set of eyes on her when she’s around at these events and playing again,’ Pegula said, ‘and I think it’s great for tennis as well.’ Whether or not they meet across the net, the dynamic Williams introduces is already a factor Pegula is watching closely ahead of the women’s final on 12 September.