The WTA 250 Korea Open is a women’s only tennis tournament held in Seoul, South Korea, every year. Commencing in 2024 at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center, it is currently called the Hana Bank Korea Open, owing to sponsorship reasons. The men’s edition of the tournament started in 2022 but was discontinued the following year.
Past winners include Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniaki and Ekaterina Alexandrova. The tournament has had to rejig its status over the years, moving from an undefined status to a WTA 125 event before finally getting upgraded to a WTA 250 tournament.
Korea Open prize pool, payout revealed
This year’s prize pool and winner’s cash prize have seen an improvement of 3% since last year. The total prize money pool is $259,303.
The Hana Bank Korea Open champion will receive $34,228, a 3.10% jump from what Ekaterina Alexandrova received when she defeated Jelena Ostapenko for the title last year. The runner-up will earn $20,226, a relatively lesser 2.41% increase from last year. As we gown down the table, we can witness bigger jumps, such as the losers in first-round qualifying, who earned $1,815, up 39.62% vs. 2022.
Further jumps from 2022 can be seen in Q2 losers, who earned $2,400, a 20% increase. The second round of exits saw the women earn $4,220, a 11.05% increase from twelve months ago. Overall, there are massive jumps from last year’s earnings throughout the rounds with round one exits earning $2,930(⬆️ 7.52%), quarterfinal exits earning $6,417(⬆️ 3.50%) and semifinal exists earning $11,275( ⬆️ 2.50%).
Pegula to face Yuan Ye in Korea Open final
American Jessica Pegula advanced to the final of the Hana Bank Korea Open on Saturday when she beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-3 in a straightforward victory.
A break late into the first set provided Pegula with the advantage that helped her seal it, before she raced to a 4-1 lead in the second. A late comeback from Yanina was thwarted by Pegula, as she ran out victorious in under two hours.
“Being half-Korean and being able to be in the final here is something I can always say,” Pegula said. “Hopefully I can win, but nonetheless, it’s an honor, so I’m really happy.”
Jessica will look to add to her Tokyo title by winning her second crown in the Asian leg of the year-end hardcourt event cycle.
Jessica will face world no. 128 Yuan Ye in the final after the Chinese beat Emina Bekatas 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2 in a thrilling comeback contest that will see Yuan contest her first tour-level final and become the first Chinese woman to compete in the Korea Open final.
Who will win the Hana Bank Korea Open final? Will it be Jessica Pegula or Yuan Ye who triumphs and gains valuable WTA points along with a healthy paycheck? Let us know in the comments section below.
