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The tennis pro's partnership with Vital Proteins collagen serves fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be at the U.S. Open.

Professional tennis player Jessica Pegula is heading into this year’s U.S. Open in her usual form: steady, grounded, and playing some of the most consistent tennis of her career. As one of the top-ranked American women on tour, the 32-year-old Buffalo native has built her game—and her reputation—on durability, training sometimes for weeks without a day off.

Pegula says that level of dedication has amped up her performance consistency, but after years in the game, she’s also learned about recovery.

Ahead of this year’s U.S. Open (kicking off August 23, with women’s and men’s finals September 12 and 13, respectively), Pegula is returning as the face of Vital Proteins, which is back for a second year as the Official Collagen Partner of the U.S. Open and Presenting Sponsor of the Mixed Doubles Championship as part of a new multi-year partnership. The collaboration centers on a simple idea: Looking, moving, and feeling your best is a competitive advantage, on the court and off.

This year, Vital Proteins is raising the stakes around one of the tournament’s most electric moments: the final-set tiebreak. If a Main Draw Singles match reaches a final-set tiebreak from the Quarterfinals-on, Vital Proteins will give away a plethora of prizes, including two grand prizes: a trip for two to the 2027 U.S. Open Finals with private helicopter transport, flights, hotel, and spending money; and a $15,000 wellness investment.

Fans can enter starting August 17 on Vital Protein’s website, with entries open through September 13 or until the first tiebreak of the tournament, whichever comes first.

Ahead, The Healthy caught up with Pegula to talk about recovery, burnout, her non-negotiable self-care habits, and why collagen has grown into an important part of her daily routine.

The Healthy: The U.S. Open is one of the most exciting times of the year for tennis fans. You also partnered with Vital Proteins, who produce collagen powders, around the French Open at Roland Garros. Collagen is regarded for so many benefits. When you first started taking it, what were you hoping to get out of it?

Jessica Pegula: For me, especially as I’ve gotten a bit older, everyone is so keen on recovery and taking care of their bodies now, and our schedule has gotten longer. It was about finding something that helps me day to day so I don’t get worn out and worn down.

Now that I’m getting older, my joints are a little stiffer, and you have to do more to recover well. You can feel good one week and then have another week you have to play, and now there are a lot of two-week events, so it’s hard to feel good every single day. Vital Proteins has made a big difference in my day-to-day recovery. Sometimes your body just needs that extra support through a really long schedule.

The Healthy: There are so many ways to prepare collagen. How do you take yours?

Jessica Pegula: It depends on where I am. At home, I put it in a lot of smoothies, especially in Florida, where it’s so hot I don’t always feel like eating a big meal but still want to get something in quickly. On the road, it’s more about convenience—mixed with coffee or just water. I’m a big coffee drinker, so I’ll blend it into my coffee with a little handheld frother. At home I get a bit more creative with it; on the road it’s simple, whatever I have access to, whether that’s water or electrolytes.

The Healthy: What’s a physical feat you’ve done recently that would have shocked your 20-year-old self?

Jessica Pegula: Honestly, I’m known on tour now for being very consistent, and at 20 that was the opposite of who I was. If I had a string of tournaments—say three or four in a row, since we usually play week to week—I wouldn’t really get going until the third week. I tended to do well once I had a lot of matches under me, and then I’d crash.

Now people who knew me back then find it funny. Even other players ask if I ever get tired, because I’m so used to grinding through weeks and getting wins no matter what. That’s a total 180 from who I was. I never thought I’d beat that version of myself—back then it was just hoping for a good week and struggling to back up matches. Mentality-wise, I think I’m the complete opposite of who I was at 20.

The Healthy: Who is someone in your life who tells you that you’re burning out before you’re able to see it yourself?

Jessica Pegula: I don’t think I really noticed it until I started working with my two coaches, Mark Merklein and Mark Knowles, over the last couple of years. When I started doing well, my mentality was that I had to get in great shape and practice no matter how I felt—tough through everything. That gave me a lot of confidence, but after a couple of injuries, I couldn’t keep doing that, and I’d overdo practices trying to make up for lost time. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so if something wasn’t feeling right, my instinct was to keep working on it rather than stop.

My coaches were the ones who said this was turning counterproductive and that I should take a day off and come back to it. That was hard for me to accept, because working constantly is how I thought I’d gotten good in the first place. They were the first people to point out things like, “You haven’t taken a day off in two weeks—do you even realize that?” I didn’t. Now that they know my personality, they can tell when I’m burnt out, sometimes before I can, and they’ll mention it gently until it clicks for me.

The Healthy: Do you have a non-negotiable ritual for your soul?

Jessica Pegula: I don’t meditate as much as I used to, mostly because I’ve gotten better at managing my energy. But when I start to feel overwhelmed or overstimulated, or things are piling up and I haven’t had a chance to relax, meditation is always my go-to, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. It’s not on a consistent schedule, but it’s my default: If I need to reset, I’ll tell myself I have to meditate for 10 minutes that day, just to get back to the present instead of feeling like I’m go-go-go all the time.

The Healthy: What’s one self-care habit you refuse to skip?

Jessica Pegula: Skincare.

The Healthy: You even have your own skincare brand!

Jessica Pegula: I do. Even taking an extra 10 minutes to really take care of your skin makes you feel—and look—better, and that gives you more confidence. I get lazy with it sometimes, like anyone, but on days I’m dragging, giving my skin a little extra love always puts some pep in my step. It’s something I keep coming back to.