Sebastian Korda expressed that winning the Washington Open was “likely the most significant moment” of his career, following in his father’s footsteps.
The 24-year-old secured the second title of his career by defeating Flavio Cobolli 4-6 6-2 6-0 on Sunday.
His father, Petr, claimed the title back in 1992, making them the first father-son duo to win the same ATP Tour event.
“Our family has deep roots with this tournament. One of my primary ambitions has always been to come here and hopefully emerge victorious, leaving my name on that stadium,” Korda shared.
“This is possibly the most meaningful moment of my career to date.”
Korda’s coach, Radek Stepanek—who was once trained by Petr—won the Washington Open in 2011.
With his victory against Cobolli, Korda is set to achieve a career-best ranking as the world number 18.
In other news, former world number two Paula Badosa triumphed over Marie Bouzkova 6-1 4-6 6-4, claiming her first title in over two years.
After experiencing a stress fracture in her back, the 26-year-old dropped out of the top 100 in 2023.
However, with her win over Bouzkova, the Spaniard is poised to return to the top 50 following her wildcard entry into the Washington tournament.
“Given what I endured last year, being back and winning significant titles like a 500, competing against top players again—this means everything to me,” Badosa remarked.
“A year ago, I was sidelined on the couch, so this is an enormous change. Now I feel like an athlete once more.”
