NINE TOP-TEN PLAYERS CONFIRMED FOR BERLIN!
The world elite of women's tennis is returning to Berlin! In exactly 25 days, the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN (13 to 21 June 2026) will get underway on the site of the LTTC "Rot-Weiß" in Berlin. The entry list for this WTA 500 tournament boasts an impressive line-up! As in the previous year, the world's top elite will be in Berlin featuring nine of the world's current top-ten players. Stars such as Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff will bring a Grand Slam atmosphere and Wimbledon flair to the Steffi-Graf-Stadion.
However, the world-class tournament will not only make waves with respect to the sport but also regarding its organisation. The major surge in spectator interest will be met by upgrading the venue. A second public entrance is being built at the Hundekehlesee, for the first time, the club's site will be fully utilised for the tournament, and at the same time, the stadium is being upgraded by erecting additional stands offering space for 424 additional tennis fans per day.
Sabalenka and Rybakina fought an epic battle in Berlin in 2025
Nine of the world's top-ten players and 16 of the top 20 players of the WTA rankings have entered the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN. Thus, the WTA 500 tournament is one of the strongest of its category worldwide! A total of 28 main draw singles players and 16 doubles teams will battle it out from 13 June for crucial world ranking points and the record prize money of US Dollars 1.2 million. Two weeks prior to the season highlight in Wimbledon, the spectators in Berlin can look forward to the stars at their best.
The leading top player, Aryna Sabalenka, has already won three top tournaments this season, i.e. Brisbane (Australia), Indian Wells and Miami (both USA). In the finals of Indian Wells, she defeated the world number two, Elena Rybakina, as well as Coco Gauff, currently ranked number four, beating them both in three sets. Her victory against Rybakina served as revenge for the Australian Open defeat in the final at the beginning of the year. For Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, the tournament victory Down Under marked the second Grand Slam title of her career.
In 2025, Sabalenka and Rybakina fought an epic battle in the quarter-finals in Berlin. Sabalenka saved four match points in the tiebreak of the third set in one of the best matches of the tournament and made it to the semi-final after two hours and 42 minutes, winning the match 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(6). However, that was also the end of her run against the eventual tournament winner, Marketa Vondrousova (CZE).
The tournament director Markus Zoecke said: "Berlin and the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN are enormously appealing to the players. They all want to compete at our tournament at the Hundekehle. Our fans can look forward to more world-class players than at some other major event: nine top-ten players, the four Grand Slam winners, Sabalenka, Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys, as well as the 2020 Tokyo Olympic medallist, Belinda Bencic. It doesn't get any better than that."
Will the battle for the number one spot intensify in Berlin?
Andrea Petkovic, who is responsible for the atmosphere at the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN in her role as the Director of Excitement, said: "Although I am not surprised, I am tremendously happy to see such a strong field at the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN. Top-class tennis is guaranteed in Berlin. We might even seethe ultimate show-down between Sabalenka and Rybakina for the number one spot in the world. Let's go!"
Actually, there might be a changing of the guard at the top of the world rankings in Berlin if Rybakina outperforms Sabalenka at the upcoming French Open. What a showdown it would be!
Wildcard for Eva Lys (WTA no. 81) from Hamburg
Once again, the hopes of the German fans at the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN rest on Eva Lys. The player from Hamburg who, in 2025, made a sensational run to the round of last 16 at the Australian Open, has received a Wildcard in Berlin.
New entrance and additional stands for the Steffi-Graf-Stadion
The BERLIN TENNIS OPEN 2025 saw 35,000 spectators flock to the site on the nine tournament days. A similar amount is expected this year. However, queues at the entrances are not to be expected. The access process to the venue is being improved thanks to another public entrance at the Hundekehlesee.
A sign posting system will show the spectators the best possible access to their seats.
Furthermore, the Steffi-Graf-Stadion will erect additional stands for the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN 2026 with a capacity of 424 seats per day. The stands will be temporarily situated at the back of the main stands A (towardsthe venue grounds). Tickets for this additional seating will be available as Category 2 tickets, with prices ranging from Euro 55 (main draw) to Euro 95 (semi-finalSaturday and final Sunday).
Vjeko Curic, co-founder and CFO of the organiser Perfect Match, said: "By expanding the Public Village, providing the second entrance and the additional stands, we have embarked on the next step in developing the tournament. Ticket demand from the quarter-final on Wednesday is already so high that we want to enable even more tennis fans to enjoy the BERLIN TENNIS OPEN.
Shaping the future of the tournament with a new title sponsor
The pharmaceutical company VANDA Pharmaceuticals is supporting the world-class WTA 500 tournament as the title sponsor for the first time this year and will continue as title sponsor until 2028. "Together with the global brand VANDA Pharmaceuticals, we intend to consistently develop the VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN and establish the event as one of the best tournaments on the WTA Tour. Thanks to this partnership, we are a big step closer to achieving this goal," said Vjeko Curic.
"We, at Vanda, are very happy to be part of this story by organising this world-class sporting competition and presenting both international stars and the beautiful city of Berlin," said Dr. Mihael H. Polymeropoulos, CEO, President and Chairman of the Board at VANDA Pharmaceuticals.