Delray Beach, FL–
It’s an all-American final on the cards at the 2026 Delray Beach Open, but for locals, it’s Florida vs. Florida on Sunday. Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul, both previous finalists at this tournament, sealed their spots in the finale on Saturday.
Korda cruises in afternoon matchup
Korda, who made the final of the Delray Beach Open in 2021, took out Flavio Cobolli 7-6(1) 6-1, wearing down the Italian in hot conditions.
Leading 5-4 in the first set, Korda had two set points before Cobolli dug himself out of a 16-shot rally to extend the set. In the first-set tiebreak, it was Korda who pulled out the defensive stops to dominate in a 7-1 scoreline.
On Fire 💥
Sebastian Korda takes the opening tiebreak vs Cobolli in emphatic style!#DBOpen pic.twitter.com/9nqcniIfLn
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 21, 2026
The wheels came off for the No. 3 seed, Cobolli, in the second set. The Italian hit two winners in the set, making just 38% of his first serves.
A backhand passing shot down the line sealed the victory for Korda, who will rise in the rankings to around the No. 40 spot after the tournament.
“I definitely take full advantage as much as I can,” Korda said of playing in Florida, discussing growing up in the state’s heat and humidity. He’s from Bradenton, Florida, just outside Tampa, and around three hours away from the Delray Beach tournament site.
Korda has rebounded from a rough start to 2026, highlighted by a shocking first-round loss at the Australian Open to college star Michael Zheng. He lost in the final of an ATP Challenger Tour event in San Diego, and has compiled a 6-1 run since.
“Just believe in myself,” Korda said of his form in Delray Beach. “I think that’s one of the biggest keys in tennis, honestly, just to have a lot of confidence.”
Korda’s appearance in Sunday’s final–the fifth between two Americans in the tournament’s 34-year history–will be his first since February 2025, and first since former professional Ryan Harrison joined his team.
Tommy Paul delights the night crowd
Paul took out Learner Tien 4-6 6-4 6-3 in Delray Beach’s second semifinal under the Saturday night lights. After losing in the Delray Beach final to Taylor Fritz in 2024, he got his revenge over Fritz and now will play for a fifth ATP title on Sunday.
Tien had won two bruising three-setters this week, and after he won the first set 6-4, it was looking like he might have his long-awaited easy route to the final. Tien had a break point at 3-3 in the second set, before Paul started to step up his aggression and groundstrokes. He won the second set 6-4, as Tien’s energy started to dip.
Going three in Delray! Tommy Paul wins a thrilling rally with a forehand winner to set up set point, and then breaks serve to take the set 6-4. @LastWordTennis pic.twitter.com/KzjYwE7JOC
— Andreas Pelekis (@atp3417) February 22, 2026
“He’s a tough guy to hold against,” Paul said of Tien. “He returns so well, puts pressure on you on first and second serves. He’s a serious player, he’s really good, a really good player. He’s got a really good future ahead of him.”
In the third set, some poor misses off Tien’s racket saw the No. 4 seed slip down a break in the decider. He kept on producing break point chances, but Paul saved all six in the third set.
Paul also had to save a break point in the final game. He hit a strong first serve out wide and looked to serve and volley to close out the match. He thought Tien’s return would miss wide, but it barely clipped the line.
“Only one thing to do, get back to the line and try and make a first serve on that next point,” Paul, from Boca Raton, Florida, said. He won the next two points to advance to the final.
Tommy Paul is through to Sunday’s @DelrayBeachOpen final. He takes out Learner Tien 4-6 6-4 6-3, on his second match point. pic.twitter.com/JHmutgs5dy
— Andreas Pelekis (@atp3417) February 22, 2026
Paul, the No. 5 seed, now holds a 10-1 record over fellow American players since the start of 2025.
The final is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. local time.
Main Photo Credit: Andrew Patron/Delray Beach Open