Jessica Pegula reveals surprising fashion ritual that helps her feel like herself on court

World No. 3 Jessica Pegula spilt the beans on how fashion plays a role when she steps on the court for a competitive faceoff against her rivals and what exactly she does that grounds her.

The 32-year-old, who recently competed in the National Bank Open, is now set to feature in the US Open 2026. Ahead of her big outing, Pegula revealed some interesting facts about her fashion choices and the impact it has on her game.

Jessica Pegula reveals how fashion helps her feel like herself

In a recent conversation with WWD, Pegula spoke about her Vital Proteins partnership, revealing that the smallest of things, like accessories, can have a major role in her game. When she enters a stadium with a huge crowd, she needs something that reminds her of herself.

“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,’” Pegula said.

She added: “A necklace or jewellery 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.”

She further noted that tennis, in terms of fashion, has evolved to an extent where the sport has its own fashion category.

“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,” Pegula added.

The US Open finalist also emphasised that tennis players can personalise how they wear their kit, from hair to shoes, with everything becoming a style statement. She noted that these fashion choices allow athletes to make their on-court appearance feel more like their unique identity, as individuality makes the sport and fashion work so well together.

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