Many players made the trip to the USA to compete in this event, some following up from the recent Dallas Open which kicked off the countless number of tournaments set to be hosted in the USA. A talent pool of tennis players have locked horns on court but only one can win the title.
Paul looking back to his best
This time last year, Paul was making a charge towards the top 10 in the world. He would secure two Grand Slam quarterfinal results while reaching the semi-final of the Italian Open. However, injury would derail the rest of his season as he stumbled down the rankings.
Now, he has found a consistent patch of form back on the court as he looks to climb back to where he was at. An early exit at the Dallas Open was a hugely disappointing result for the American but he has made up for it with a phenomenal run in this tournament.
Tommy Paul at the Australian Open
He began by taking down Corentin Moutet in three sets before coming through a dramatic first set to take down Adam Walton to reach the quarterfinal stage. He then took down the number one seed and former US Open final Taylor Fritz in straight sets before defeating the inform Learner Tien after recovering down from a set deficit.
These two recent results will fuel him with bucket loads of belief and confidence ahead of this final as he searches for a first title since the Stockholm Open in 2024.
Paul pathway to final
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| 1st Round | Corentin Moutet | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2nd Round | Adam Walton | 7–6(11), 6–3 |
| Quarterfinal | Taylor Fritz | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Semifinal | Learner Tien | 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
Korda looking to go one step further
Korda suffered a turbulent 2025 season where a period on the sidelines saw him miss a large chunk of the season and saw his ranking suffer greatly. He is now looking to climb back up to where he once was but the journey will not be a simple one.
Backing on from the quarterfinal in Dallas, he got the better of a brace of Americans in straight sets to kick off his campaign. Mackenzie McDonald and Alex Michelsen went down before Casper Ruud was defeated in three sets. It was a big win against the three-time Grand Slam finalist before the third seed Flavio Cobolli was his latest victim.
Now up to world number 41, the 25-year-old is starting to get back up to his past self. He has not won a title since the 2024 DC Open. His final form has been dreadful, winning just two titles from a possible nine finals.
Korda pathway to final
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| 1st Round | Mackenzie McDonald | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2nd Round | Alex Michelsen | 6-3, 7-6(6) |
| Quarterfinal | Casper Ruud | 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 |
| Semifinal | Flavio Cobolli | 7-6(1), 6-1 |
A seventh meeting between the duo
The American pair have faced each other before on sex separate occasions, with Korda having the more joy. Their first meeting came in Korda’s run to the final in this tournament with him coming back from one set down.
He backed that up a few months later in the Emilia Romagna Open – which Korda won, before a third meeting in 2021 went the way of Korda who got the better of him in the San Diego Open. Paul finally got a win against his fellow American compatriot, and it proved to be a big one. He pipped Korda in the second round of the 2022 US Open in five sets.
Their most recent meetings came in 2024 where they both got a win a piece. Korda picked up a win in the Libema Open while Paul took him down in the semi-finals of Queens, going on to win the title. the winner of their next matchup will not only leave with bragging rights but with a coveted ATP title.
Paul-Korda head to head
| Date | Tournament | Round | Winner | Score |
| 09-Jan-2021 | Delray Beach Open | 2R | Sebastian Korda | 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 28-May-2021 | Emilia-Romagna Open | SF | Sebastian Korda | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 28-Sep-2021 | San Diego Open | 1R | Sebastian Korda | 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 |
| 31-Aug-2022 | US Open | R2 | Tommy Paul | 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 14-Jun-2024 | Libéma Open (‘s-Hertogenbosch) | QF | Sebastian Korda | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 22-Jun-2024 | Queen’s Club Championships | SF | Tommy Paul | 6-4, 7-6(2) |