Filipino Canadian Leylah Fernandez took home the Hong Kong Open trophy, while Korean American Jessica Pegula won the Korea Open, two celebratory moments that happened on the same day on Sunday.
Her first in months: Fernandez, 21, beat Czech tennis player Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the grand final of the Hong Kong Open on Sunday. The Sunday win marked Fernandez’s third career title in women’s singles and her first Hologic WTA Tour title. The last time the Filipino Canadian tennis star won a title was at Monterey in March 2022.
Fernandez entered the top 50 of the Women’s Tennis Association ranking following her win on Sunday.
Second title of the season: Across the sea, Pegula, 29, took home her second WTA title of the season after beating China’s Yuan Yue 6-2, 6-3 at the Hana Bank Korea Open (Korea Open) in Seoul on Sunday. Pegula won her first WTA season title in August when she bested Russian player Liudmila Samsonova at the National Bank Open, also known as the Canadian Open.
Sunday’s win also saw Pegula taking her fourth career title. She also became the first American player to win the title in Seoul since Venus Williams in 2007.
What’s next for them: Pegula is expected to compete at the 2023 WTA Finals at Cancun, Mexico, which runs Oct. 29 to Nov. 5. She qualifies to compete in singles and doubles along with her American partner Coco Gauff, according to the WTA.
Meanwhile, Fernandez and her American partner Taylor Townsend are still competing to secure one of the three remaining spots for the 2023 WTA Finals.
