COUP IN THE DREAM FINAL: PEGULA CROWNS HERSELF KURPARK CHAMPION WITH WIN OVER SWIATEK!

Jessica Pegula stood beneath a golden shower of confetti, beaming in the afternoon sun.
After an impressive display of power and composure, the world No. 3 lifted the unique winner’s trophy of the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt into the blue summer sky and was celebrated by the crowd.

“Everyone was super friendly and made this week really special for me. It’s a unique feeling to win here,” said top seed Pegula after her hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 victory in 1 hour and 46 minutes over five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in a memorable Kurpark final.

‍

Top players, top tennis, and high emotions for the tournament’s mini-anniversary

‍Tennis fans were treated to a spectacular celebration for the boutique tournament’s fifth edition: Two Top 10 players in the final on a sold-out Spielbank Bad Homburg Centre Court with 3,800 spectators—something that had never happened before. On one side: Swiatek, the most successful active major champion and former world No. 1, who had beaten 2023 Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini in a star-studded semifinal. On the other: Pegula, the 2024 US Open finalist and a top player who clearly thrives on German grass courts.

‍

Pegula feels at home in Bad Homburg—just like in Wimbledon‍

In June 2024, the 31-year-old had already claimed the title in Berlin—and now she added the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt, with more than $1.1 million in prize money. “Everyone tells me I have the perfect game for grass,” the American emphasized. The conditions were ideal for a strong run at this WTA 500 tournament in Hesse. Pegula felt comfortable from the start and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. “The Kurpark is so calm and beautiful—I could walk from the hotel to the venue. There are great cafés in town,” said the daughter of a business couple who own, among other things, the Buffalo Bills (NFL) and the Buffalo Sabres (NHL).

‍

Kurpark queen heads straight to Wimbledon debut on Tuesday‍

In a relatively balanced final against Swiatek, Pegula converted her fourth break point to lead 4-3, then closed out the first set shortly afterward. The Pole—still chasing her first grass-court title—couldn’t find a way to challenge Pegula’s serve throughout the match.

The second set remained close, but Swiatek failed to earn a single break point. Fittingly, a mistake from the Warsaw fan favorite sealed the third tournament win of the season for the world No. 3.

On Saturday evening, the freshly crowned Bad Homburg champion boarded a flight to London, where she will play her opening match at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
However, Pegula said she already felt a Wimbledon vibe during her week in Bad Homburg:
“It’s actually very similar—the trees, the landscape, all the greenery. It’s just beautiful.”

‍

Strongest main draw yet – Guo/Panova take doubles title

‍The fifth edition of the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt will go down as another remarkable success in the tournament’s still-young history.
Never before had the player field been so strong (including five Top 10 players), and never had the ranking cutoff for the main draw been so low (world No. 31).

In the doubles final, Hanyu Guo (China) and Alexandra Panova (Russia) claimed a 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-5 victory over Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukraine) and Ellen Perez (Australia) in 1 hour and 45 minutes.