NEW YORK—Jessica Pegula’s US Open quarterfinal conquest of Iga Swiatek meant a lot to a lot of people. American tennis fans. Buffalo, N.Y. natives. Perhaps even fellow straphangers and LIRR commuters.
It also meant plenty to Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Pegula is a board member of the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association, created by former Top 50 player Vania King and whose mission is to develop, grow and elevate the visibility and interests of the AAPI tennis community.
“I support AAPITA because I have learned that representation and your heritage matters,” Pegula told TENNIS.com in 2022. “This can inspire so many kids to dream, and that is one of the reasons I play tennis.”