Linda Noskova claims the title and has a chance to win the doubles title tomorrow!

At 4:57 P.M. this Sunday, people started cheering for the first time on Centre Court at the Steffi Graf Stadion in Berlin. But the tennis fans’ applause wasn’t directed at the two outstanding players competing in the final of the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN 2026. It was for the volunteers who were rolling the rain cover off the court. Finally! With the grass now exposed, it was clear that the grand final of the WTA 500 tournament between Jessica Pegula (USA) and Linda Noskova (CZE) would begin soon. Yet, due to an extreme storm with heavy rain and gusts of wind, it had long seemed unlikely that any tennis would be played at all that Sunday!

Despite the challenging conditions, the day concludes with a highly anticipated final. Jessica Pegula, World No. 4 and 2024 Berlin champion, is facing Linda Nosková, who is contesting her first-ever final in Berlin.

Linda Noskova won the match 6:4, 4:6, 6:3 in 1 hour and 58 minutes and will have the chance on Monday to also claim the doubles title alongside her partner Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Road to the final

Jessica Pegula, world number 4 and winner of the Berlin tournament in 2024, reached the final after a strong and hard-fought week on grass. She defeated Katerina Siniakova and her fellow American Madison Keys in two tie-break sets, before overcoming world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in the semi-final. Pegula remains the only American player to have reached and won the final since the tournament switched to grass in 2021.

Linda Nosková, world number 13, continued her impressive run by reaching her first final in Berlin. She did not drop a single set throughout the week, defeating Renata Zarazua, Diane Parry, and Paula Badosa in straight sets. Yesterday, she eliminated crowd favorite Alexandra Eala in the semi-final, ending the remarkable run of the Filipino wildcard. Nosková is known for her powerful baseline game and serve. Ahead of the final, she led the tournament statistics with 29 aces. She also topped the category for percentage of points won on first serve with 81%.

Noskova Secures the Biggest Victory of Her Career

At 5:39 p.m., the match finally got underway. Linda Noskova served first and won the game with ease. After an early break and another service game won, the Czech player took a 3:0 lead. But the experienced American fought back and evened the score. The match was now evenly matched until Noskova broke Pegula’s serve to win the set 6:4. Pegula took the second set 6:4 after breaking Noskova’s serve to make it 4:3 and holding on to the lead to level the match. In the third set, Noskova raised her level again, securing an early break, delivering a series of aces, and quickly racing to a 3:0 lead. Pegula managed to win two more games, saved a match point, but ultimately lost the third set and the match on the second match point. Final score: 6:4, 4:6, 6:3 for Linda Noskova.

Heavy rain forced the closure and evacuation of the tournament grounds

For most of the day on Sunday, it seemed the tournament might not be able to go ahead. About an hour before the scheduled 12:00 P.M. start, a severe storm with heavy rain and gusty winds had thrown the schedule into disarray. About 40 liters of rain fell per square meter per hour over Berlin Grunewald. As a result, the tournament grounds around the Steffi Graf Stadium at Hundekehlesee were ankle-deep in water and had to be temporarily evacuated for safety reasons. In coordination with the police, the nearby Auerbach Tunnel was designated as a safe area for spectators. By around 4:00 P.M., repairs had been completed as far as possible, and the grounds were reopened to the public.

Tournament Director Thanks the Audience and All Supporters

Tournament Director Markus Zoecke said after the final: “I’d like to say thank you. Thank you to the fans who came back to the Steffi Graf Stadium today after this crazy day. And, of course, to everyone who helped make this tournament a success. Our partners and sponsors, the spectators, the volunteers, the ball kids, and a great team behind the scenes. We are well aware that many tennis fans went home disappointed today. But safety and well-being come first. We thank you for your understanding and look forward to seeing you all again next year.

The doubles semifinals and final will be played on Monday

Linda Noskova will continue her doubles campaign on Monday alongside partner Ekaterina Alexandrova in their semifinal against Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) and Quinn Gleason (USA). The match was suspended on Saturday at 6–3, 3–3 due to darkness. It will resume on Monday at 11:00 A.M. In the subsequent final, Sara Errani (ITA)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) await their opponents.

Tennis fans are welcome to watch the semifinals and the subsequent final live at Steffi Graf Stadium, with free admission.