American tennis star Jessica Pegula has dreamed about what it would be like to win the first Grand Slam of her career. She said achieving that milestone at the U.S. Open, her favorite of the four slams, would be even sweeter. "My goal is to win the tournament," Pegula told USA TODAY Sports ahead of the 2026 U.S. Open. "It is my favorite place to play just purely because I am an American and I'm from New York State, and I do think people get behind me and encourage me a lot more than maybe even some other Americans." Pegula has experienced both triumph and heartbreak at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. She advanced to the first and only Grand Slam final of her career at the 2024 U.S. Open, but ultimately lost to Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. "I do feel like it adds a little bit more pressure," Pegula added.
Pegula spoke to USA TODAY Sports ahead of the fourth and final major of the year through her partnership with Vital Proteins, the official collagen partner of the U.S. Open. Jessica Pegula 'visualized' winning US Open Pegula, 32, is considered a late-bloomer in the tennis world. She made her professional debut in 2009, but a string of serious injuries delayed her ascension. Pegula broke through and won her first WTA title at age 25 in 2019. She cracked the Top 50 for the first time in 2021, made it into the Top 20 by January 2022 and reached the Top 10 five months later at age 28. Pegula is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, the highest ranking of her career. But there's one accolade missing from her mantle – a Grand Slam title. The thought of winning a major, however, brings her mixed emotions. "I always like to visualize and see how I would feel or what that moment would feel like. And it's interesting. I have a lot of different reactions to it," said Pegula, who's currently competing at the Cincinnati Open. "Of course I'm like, wow ... dream come true since I was a kid having these crazy goals. But then at the same time, I don't think it would change much ... I think tennis is kind of cruel that way where you have to move on really, really quickly." Pegula continued, "So yeah, I don't know. I visualized it being of course an amazing achievement, but then at the same time, I've also seen it as every week's the same. We're out here trying to compete and win no matter what the situation is. So I'm not sure if much would really change, to be honest, besides a really nice trophy and having that next to my name or whatever it would be."
Knows no other way 😤 Jessica Pegula defeats Waltert 6-3, 6-2 to record her 22nd consecutive opening-round WTA 1000 victory.#CincyTennispic.twitter.com/lz8jzipBNR — wta (@WTA) August 15, 2026 Instead of focusing on the larger task at hand, Pegula said she's found great success "working backwards" and honing in on the small victories that stack over time. It's a mentality she credits with her turnaround that has her enjoying the game more than ever. "I think what really changed my career from when I was younger is kind of falling in love with that process instead of looking so much at these goals that seem really far away," she added. "I just responded much better with that way of thinking. Everyone's different, but I loved embracing the grind, embracing that process, the grittiness of it. I mean, that's what tennis is. We play a lot of matches, we play all year round, and it's very individual. So if you don't fall in love with the process, I don't think it's quite as enjoyable."
Top Americans to contend at US Open Pegula isn't the only top contender hailing from the U.S. ahead of the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year. Five American women are in the Top 25 –Pegula (3), Coco Gauff (4), Amanda Anisimova (10), Iva Jovic (16) and Madison Keys (24) – which "says a lot" about the state of U.S. tennis, Pegula added. "I think being able to share that with fellow countrywoman and countrymen that are around you playing makes it seem like you're a little bit more on a team," Pegula said. "This sport is so individuals that I think it's kind of nice to have that feeling that we're all kind of in it together. And I think it also alleviates some pressure. There's not just one person, one American that has to win the U.S. Open." Gauff was the last American woman to win the U.S. Open in 2023. Pegula finished runner-up in 2024 and fellow American Amanda Anisimova finished second in 2025, both behind back-to-back champion Aryna Sabalenka. Pegula learned in her Finals appearance that you Aren't always going to have your best any given day. "There's a lot of matches where you don't feel great. There's a lot of really tough moments in all of those matches," added Pegula. "It's like every match is going to have its own challenges. It doesn't mean it's going to come easy at all, no matter what the score is, no matter what's happening." The final-set tiebreak will have a twist at the 2026 U.S. Open. Starting in the quarterfinal round, Vital Proteins will give away $250K in collagen if a main draw singles match reaches a final-set tiebreak. The company will also gift an Ultimate Fan Experience for the 2027 U.S. Open, in addition to a $15K wellness stipend. Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jessica Pegula visualizes winning first Grand Slam at 'favorite place to play'