THE DRAW HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL WORLD CLASS MATCHUPS
What a start to the 2026 VANDA Pharmaceuticals BERLIN TENNIS OPEN. The first day of qualifying on Saturday turned into a test of patience for the players and the nearly 2,500 spectators at the LTTC “Rot-Weiß” Berlin. Rain showers repeatedly caused interruptions to the WTA 500 tournament. In the end, four of the twelve scheduled matches were completed, three were suspended, and five were rescheduled for Sunday. World-class matchups were also drawn for the main draw, which begins on Monday, 15 June, 2026.
As Germany’s hope Eva Lys (WTA 82) drew the main draw under the supervision of WTA Supervisor Donna Kelso and referee Norbert Peick, dark clouds moved in. She joked about her yellow outfit: “I wore a colourful outfit to bring the sun out.” It then started to rain, but she still drew some strong matchups.
Grand Slam champions Coco Gauff and Madison Keys will begin their matches early in the week.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff (USA) will face Czech wild card holder Nikola Bartunkova. Last year’s Berlin runner-up Xinyu Wang (China) will take on Madison Keys, winner of the 2025 Australian Open. Elina Svitolina (UKR), currently ranked No. 8 in the world, will face Anna Kalinskaya. Hamburg’s Eva Lys, who received a wild card into the main draw, will face a qualifier in the first round on Monday or Tuesday. The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala will face Croatia’s Donna Vekic, who is set to play in the final of the HSBC Championships in Queens on Sunday
Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina will play their opening matches in the round of 16 after receiving first-round byes.
US star Serena Williams will compete in doubles alongside her new partner Karolina Muchova (CZE). Barring any weather-related schedule changes, they will face Giuliana Olmos (MEX) and Erin Routliffe (NZL) on Tuesday at the Steffi-Graf-Stadion.
For three German players, however, the tournament came to an end after their opening qualifying matches. Milena Steinkamp lost 3-6, 2-6 to China’s Shuai Zhang, Tamara Kopatsch fell 2-6, 5-7(1) to Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova, and Noma Noha Akugue was defeated 6-4, 1-6, 2-6 by Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova.
Will Ella Seidel and Tessa Johanna Brockmann advance to the next round of qualifying?
Alongside Eva Lys, two other German players, Ella Seidel and Tessa Johanna Brockmann, are still in the tournament. Tessa Johanna Brockmann’s match against American Alycia Parks was suspended at 4-6, 6-4, 4-2. The match between Ella Seidel and French player Diane Parry will be played on Sunday.
Tournament director Markus Zoecke said: “The weather didn’t cooperate today, but it didn’t affect the atmosphere on site. We still saw some strong opening matches and are hoping for at least one German player to reach the final round of qualifying.”
Don’t miss your chance to get the last tickets!
The world’s best players will be competing in Berlin until Sunday, 21 June, 2026, fighting for the title, ranking points and $1.2 million in prize money. Tickets for world-class tennis featuring Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Serena Williams are still available for Monday to Thursday. From Friday to Sunday, the Centre Court at the Steffi Graf Stadion is sold out, with around 5,000 fans expected each day.