Jessica Pegula returns to South Korea, a home away from home, before looking to right wrongs at WTA Finals

As tennis results go this week, Jessica Pegula’s 6-2, 6-4 first-round victory over 74th-ranked Viktoria Hruncakova at the Hana Bank Korea Open likely didn’t pop off your screen. More digital ink was spilled on Ben Shelton, who came closer to following up a semifinal run at the US Open with one in Shanghai; Grigor Dimitrov, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz for the first time; and on the WTA 500 in Zhengzhou, part of the sport’s return to China.

But considering some of the carnage at this week’s WTA 250s, the fourth-ranked American’s straightforward win feels a little more significant. The second seed in Seoul, Jelena Ostapenko, lost to 569th-ranked Back Dayeon. In an upset no less surprising, 162nd-ranked Jang Su-Jeong defeated the tournament’s fifth seed, Sofia Kenin. And in Hong Kong, top seed Victoria Azarenka is out after retiring in her opening match.

At this time in the 10-month-long WTA season, it’s fair to question player motivation. Physically, even the most fit athletes are worn down. Mentally, many pros are undoubtedly thinking of home or a long-overdue vacation, rather than another swing of events after the year’s final major. But I think it’s fair to say Pegula bucks those trends—even if she missed a piece of home this past weekend in South Korea:

From a physical standpoint, the 29-year-old is playing her third tournament following a US Open that saw her reach the fourth round in singles and the quarterfinals in doubles, and finish runner-up in mixed doubles. In Tokyo, she cruised to the final before falling to Veronika Kudermetova, then took a second-round loss to Ostapenko in Beijing. (Pegula also played doubles at both events.) The Latvian is one formidable opponent who will be out of Pegula’s way in Seoul, which is something of a home tournament for her as well.

“A lot of people don’t know that I’m half-Korean,” Pegula told me at this year’s Credit One Charleston Open. “A lot of the stuff that my mom did, being an Asian woman in sports, is really a big deal.”

As Pegula shared over email last year, the connection to her Asian heritage was “unconventional.” Her mother, Kim, was adopted, and only began to embrace her Korean roots as she grew into a professional in the United States. More than anyone, it was Jessica and her sister, Kelly, who pushed Kim to explore this side of her past.

“She started finding a network of fellow Koreans who really supported her,” Pegula wrote. “I think once I started seeing that, and experiencing my own success through tennis, you start understanding that it is really important.”

This is Pegula’s first appearance at the Hana Bank Korea Open since 2019. That trip included a visit to Kim’s orphanage.

“It was a really amazing and humbling experience for our entire family,” wrote Pegula about the visit. “It helped me learn more about the history of Korea, and appreciate where my ancestors came from. It has always inspired me in everything that I do.”

Mentally, there may be no Top 5 player more motivated at this point of the season than Pegula. Though Grand Slams remain her ultimate goal, the next few weeks should carry a heightened level of importance. Winning Seoul would be both an emotional high—and, improbably, just the fourth title of her very successful singles career—and well as a springboard into the WTA Finals. On brand, Pegula has qualified for both the singles and doubles elite eights in Cancun, Mexico, where she will look to drastically improve over last year’s 0-6 combined result.

With doubles partner Coco Gauff’s US Open championship, Pegula will be the only Top 5 player at the WTA Finals without a Grand Slam title to her name. Her Wimbledon quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova was tough to swallow, but she rebounded quickly to win her second WTA 1000 title in Montreal. All told, it positions this season-ending championship on a different level for Pegula than her competitors. That can create additional pressure, but even so, it can serve as one final test before the worldwide ride begins again in January.

But first, it’s all about Seoul.