Jessica Pegula’s win over Iga Swiatek punctuated a memorable day for the AAPI community

NEW YORK—Jessica Pegula’s US Open quarterfinal conquest of Iga Swiatek meant a lot to a lot of people. American tennis fans. Buffalo, N.Y. natives. Perhaps even fellow straphangers and LIRR commuters.

It also meant plenty to Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Pegula is a board member of the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association, created by former Top 50 player Vania King and whose mission is to develop, grow and elevate the visibility and interests of the AAPI tennis community.

“I support AAPITA because I have learned that representation and your heritage matters,” Pegula told TENNIS.com in 2022. “This can inspire so many kids to dream, and that is one of the reasons I play tennis.”

As visibility goes, the organization couldn’t have had a better day. But not just because of Pegula’s breakthrough victory.

The AAPI vibes were strong in Arthur Ashe Stadium throughout Wednesday. Three of the four matches on the vast venue’s schedule included an AAPI tie-in, with notable names and leadership handling the coin tosses.

A discussion on diversity—AAPI Trailblazers Changing the Game—was also held on Wednesday, following additional AAPI events during US Open Fan Week. On August 19, a lion dance helped open the increasingly popular Fan Week at the main gate, along with a community event presented by USTA Eastern.

“AAPI Amplified is a true testament to the USTA for the support they have provided to the community in providing this platform, literally the world's largest stage for tennis,” AAPITA board member Lopa Zielinski told USTA.com.

Pegula wasn’t part of the Trailblazers panel, but her inspirational performance makes her a game-changer all the same.

“I think being an Asian or Asian American that there are always barriers to break, especially in sport,” Pegula said. “I have always appreciated that my mother never really saw them as barriers until she broke them.”

“I think she always went after her goals and dreams and didn’t question it, not realizing she was helping pave the way for others. My father was also very supportive of her dreams. I think having that family dynamic and mindset always helped me overcome any challenges.”