Martina Hingis presented the Toray Pan Pacific Open trophy to Veronika Kudermetova following her triumph over Jessica Pegula.
Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis graced the awards ceremony at the 2023 Toray Pan Pacific Open. She had the privilege of presenting the coveted trophy to Veronika Kudermetova, who emerged victorious in a thrilling final against Jessica Pegula.
Kudermetova secured her victory over Pegula with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-1, in a contest that lasted one hour and 24 minutes. This marked her second individual WTA title, a highly anticipated achievement following a two-and-a-half-year dry spell.
Remarkably, both of Kudermetova's WTA titles have come in the prestigious WTA 500 events. Her previous triumph occurred at the 2021 Charleston Open, where she defeated Danka Kovinic in the final.
The presence of Swiss tennis legend Martina Hingis at the prize-giving ceremony added a touch of prestige to the event. Hingis had the honor of personally handing over the trophy to the 26-year-old Kudermetova.
The official social media pages of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) shared a heartwarming video capturing the moment when Hingis presented Kudermetova with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
Hingis, a former world No. 1 herself and a multiple Grand Slam champion, continues to be an iconic figure in the tennis world. Her participation in this ceremony not only highlighted the significance of the Toray Pan Pacific Open but also celebrated the achievements of Veronika Kudermetova.
Kudermetova's title marks the second of her career, achieved in a total of eight finals. Her previous triumph came at the 2021 Charleston Open, where she defeated Danka Kovinic in the final.
Following this recent victory, Kudermetova has ascended to the world No. 16 in the rankings. She is now set to compete in Beijing, where she received a bye in the first round due to her outstanding performance in Tokyo. In the second round, she awaits the winner of the match between Lesia Tsurenko (50th) and Lin Zhu (32nd).