Both Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda have already played in the final of the Delray Beach Open. Each man came up short — Korda in 2021 and Paul in 2024.
One of these two Florida residents will get over the hump and triumph in front of the home crowd on Sunday afternoon.
The 2026 Delray Beach final marks the seventh career showdown between Paul and Korda, with Korda leading the head-to-head series 4-2. Their first meeting came at this very same tournament five years ago, when Korda scored a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory. They have not faced each other on a hard court since 2022, when Paul survived a five-set thriller at the U.S. Open. A pair of 2024 grass-court contests were split; Korda cruised 6-4, 6-2 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch before Paul prevailed 6-4, 7-6(2) at Queen’s Club.
Sunday’s battle promises to be a fun one. Both local products have thrived in the past on their hometown stomping grounds and they are also in outstanding form right now.
Paul has already won 11 matches this season, which features a semifinal result in Adelaide, a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open, and now a run to his eighth ATP final. The world No. 24 has advanced this week with wins over Corentin Moutet, Adam Walton, Taylor Fritz, and Learner Tien.
Korda bounced back from a rough Aussie Open (lost to Michael Zheng in round one) to reach the San Diego Challenger final and the Dallas quarterfinals, where he pushed Taylor Fritz to a third-set tiebreaker. The world No. 50 secured a spot in his 10th ATP final by beating Mackenzie McDonald, Alex Michelsen, Casper Ruud, and Flavio Cobolli.
Each finalist has some advantages. Korda enjoyed a much easier semifinal mach on Saturday and he has also played all of his matches during the day — which is when Sunday’s final will be contested. Paul has been getting night-session treatment every time out, so conditions will be a bit different for him. However, Paul is 4-3 lifetime in ATP championship matches; Korda is a dreadful 2-7.
A more experienced Paul has been the mentally tougher player in these kinds of situations. He also has no obvious weakness in his game, whereas Korda’s forehand has been known to break down under pressure. Paul is also a far superior defender, which could especially become a factor if — as many expect — this extends into a long, physical slugfest.