Paula Badosa Upsets Coco Gauff in the Round of 16
Major upsets and tears of joy marked the Round of 16 at the 2026 VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN. Paula Badosa (ESP), currently ranked No. 142 in the world, stunned world No. 7 Coco Gauff (USA) in three sets, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. Overcome with emotion after sealing one of the biggest wins of her comeback season, Badosa shed tears of joy on court. Meanwhile, top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula secured their spots in the quarterfinals. On Thursday, world No. 2 Elena Rybakina (KAZ) will finally begin her Berlin campaign as she makes her tournament debut.
Alexandra Eala Triumphs Over Queens Champion Donna Vekic
In the first match of the day on Center Court at Steffi Graf Stadion, Donna Vekic faced off against Alexandra Eala. The Croatian arrived in Berlin as the newly crowned champion of the WTA 500 grass-court tournament at the Queens Club and was considered the favorite in her match against the rising star from the Philippines. But things turned out differently. After a closely contested first set, which Eala won 7–5, she also took the second set 6–4 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Jessica Pegula (USA), the 2024 tournament champion, also advanced without much difficulty, defeating Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-2, 6-4. For the No. 3-seeded Pegula, it was her first appearance in Berlin this year after receiving a bye in the first round.
Still No Grass-Court Win for Coco Gauff as Berlin Run Ends in Round of 16
Paula Badosa provided the most emotional moment of the day following her upset victory over Coco Gauff. In a post-match interview after her 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win, Badosa could barely get a word out. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she repeatedly tried to compose herself. Only later did she say she was simply “…happy and grateful for the win.” A year ago, she had to retire in the quarterfinals in Berlin due to a hip injury. For Coco Gauff, one of the favorites to win the tournament in Berlin, the round of 16 marks the end of the road, just as it did last year.
A dominant display from Sabalenka, sealed on her third match point
The crowd at the Steffi Graf Stadion — once again nearly sold out — watched with anticipation as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka took to the court for her first match in Berlin. Against Ekaterina Alexandrova, the tournament favorite converted her third match point to win 6-4, 6-4, advancing comfortably to the quarterfinals. Sabalenka’s next opponent on Friday will be young Czech wildcard Nikola Bartunkova, who produced a surprise win over Belgium’s Elise Mertens (WTA No. 19), 6-1, 6-4. The world No. 1, yet to claim a grass-court title, continues her campaign in Berlin.
Defending Doubles Champions Eliminated
In doubles, former Grand Slam champions Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR) and Desirae Krawczyk (USA) advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over the Czech player Anastasia Detiuc and her partner Irina Khromacheva. The experienced duo made the most of their opportunities at the decisive moments, securing the victory in two sets.
Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri (No. 43) and American Quinn Gleason (No. 37) secured their place in the quarterfinals with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over the Netherlands’ Isabelle Haverlag and Brazil’s Ingrid Martins. The experienced duo dictated play throughout, using aggressive net play and a solid, consistent serve to control the match from start to finish.
Belgian Elise Mertens (No. 4) and Chinese Shuai Zhang (No. 8), two of the tournament favorites, put on an impressive performance and defeated the 2025 defending champions, Tereza Mihalikova (SKV) and Olivia Nicholls (UK), 6-1, 7-5. The defending champions were unable to find their way back into the match, allowing Mertens and Zhang to secure their spot in the quarterfinals with a two-set victory. There, they will face Eikeri and Gleason on Thursday.
First serve for Elena Rybakina, the world No. 2
On Thursday, spectators can look forward to four singles matches in the round of 16 and two doubles quarterfinal matches. Linda Noskova (CZE) will face French qualifier Diane Parry (FRA), Elina Svitolina (UKR) will take on Germany’s Eva Lys, Madison Keys (USA) will face Karolina Muchova (CZE), and Alexandra Eala will face world No. 2 Elena Rybakina (KAZ), who is making her debut in Berlin.
Hurry and secure the last available tickets now!
A limited number of tickets are still available for Thursday’s world-class matches on Center Court at Steffi Graf Stadium. The remaining days leading up to Sunday’s final are sold out.