It might not be obvious from watching her compete on the court, but Jessica Pegula’s tennis kit and even her accessories have the power to elevate her game. “Maybe people don’t think that much of it, but when you’re going out into a huge stadium by yourself and you wonder, ‘How do I feel like [myself]? I need something that grounds me to me.’”
That can be anything from “a necklace or jewelry or a watch or just how you did your hair. Whatever it is, it can ground you and kind of bring you back to yourself, which is really important.” Fashion and tennis have been inextricably linked for decades — from the inception of traditional tennis whites at The Championships, Wimbledon, to the Williams sisters tennis court and cultural dominance and Naomi Osaka’s symbolic use of walk-on looks.
Pegula sees the relationship as “neat,” “cool” and “fun”; an overall net-positive for tennis. “I think we’ve seen that tennis has come back and had a bit of a moment over the last couple of years where it’s almost like its own fashion category. It’s the tennis look,” the top ranked American woman in singles said.
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Indeed, between the popularity of the tenniscore style trend, 2024’s “Challengers” press tour with Zendaya and the growing number of tennis players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz joining luxury fashion houses as ambassadors, the synergy between fashion and tennis has become even more dynamic.
“I think we are one of the sports where we can be pretty individualized with what we’re wearing, whether that’s how we wear our outfits, we can do whatever we want with them to make them fit ourselves,” Pegula said.
The 2024 U.S. Open women’s singles finalist sees the sport capitalizing on the fashion buzz too, recalling Wimbledon’s retro Adidas era and the resurgence of the brand’s Y3 styles. But with the aforementioned Grand Slam on the horizon, Pegula’s prepping for more than just her next on-court look.
“Nowadays, it’s so important to focus on your recovery and all the little things you can do off the court that help you on the court,” Pegula said. The athlete is a partner of Vital Proteins, utilizing the brand’s collagen peptides and collagen peptides with creatine for hair, skin, nail, bone and joint benefits of collagen plus the benefits of creatine to support strength, performance and recovery. Vital Proteins also serves as the official collagen partner and presenting sponsor of the U.S. Open mixed doubles championship.
Vital Proteins has helped Pegula “just be able to control what I can control and being able to see the benefits of that, especially in a sport like ours which is so much.” To avoid emotional burnout, mental fatigue and especially physical injury, Vital Proteins lived up to its name as “a very vital part of my routine, something that’s a big part of my support,” Pegula said.
Looking ahead to the final Grand Slam of the season, Pegula is hoping to “find a little bit of calm in New York City.” The athlete will compete in the Cincinnati Open, which kicks off on Friday, prior to the U.S. Open, which will take place at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y., from Aug. 23 to Sept. 13.
“You want to make sure you do everything you can to feel your best and not just for one day but for the two weeks,” Pegula said, looking ahead to the Grand Slam. Between her on-court tennis kit fashion, the support of Vital Proteins and her game, Pegula will try to find that equilibrium for the last Grand Slam run of the season. “It’s a balancing act.”
