This is her big chance! Tamara Korpatsch wants to fight for the second WTA title of her career in front of a home crowd. So far, the Hamburg native has had an absolute dream week at her home tournament on the grounds of her Bundesliga club, Der Club an der Alster. All fingers are crossed that it continues like this today!
Tamara apparently can't go to bed without drama. In her three matches this week, the local favourite went the full distance each time, but her body is still holding up well: „My legs were really good today, but perhaps I shouldn't be going to three sets every time,“ said the 31-year-old with a broad grin. Her secret to success in the quarter-final against the seeded Anhelina Kalinina: „I just did what my father said. But I'm not telling you what it was,“ laughed Korpatsch, who will achieve a new „Career High“ in the world rankings after the tournament. For the first time, she is among the top 70 players in the world! But this result is only intended to be an interim goal in Hamburg.
Your mission here at Rothenbaum is far from over! When you reach a WTA semi-final, like Korpatsch did last February, you naturally want to go all the way. „For now, I'm just thinking match by match. I beat Mayar Sherif in Rome in the third set tie-break,“ Korpatsch recalls.
A lot has happened since then. Mayar Sherif is currently riding an almost uncanny wave of success. The best Egyptian tennis player of all time won her 13th match in a row in the quarter-finals and is hungry for more success. She had to fight for around three and a half hours against Paula Badosa on the Centre Court to defeat the Spaniard for the second time in five days. „It was an incredibly high level, I haven't experienced anything like it in a long time. I've just believed in what I've been doing in recent weeks. And when you do that, you get rewarded in the end,“ Sherif concluded after an enormously intense match, before immediately regenerating as best as possible.
It's been clear for a long time: the player who can recover most quickly from the strains this week has the best chance of winning the tournament.
The first semi-final on Saturday (not before 2pm) will be contested by Anna Bondar and Elina Avanesyan. Bondar seamlessly continued her impressive run at Hamburg’s Rothenbaum on Friday, celebrating her twelfth victory in 13 matches in the Hanseatic city with a 6-1, 7-6 win against Alina Charaeva. Things are really going almost by themselves for the Hungarian in Hamburg. „I'm taking all the positives from the matches with me. And of course, my self-confidence from recent years. I will give my best. Hopefully, I'll reach the final,“ said Bondar. It would be her third consecutive Hamburg final, following her tournament victory in 2024 and her final appearance last year, for the very versatile Bondar, who is now an extremely dangerous opponent on all surfaces.
Elina Avanesyan, meanwhile, heads into this semi-final day completely rested. The Armenian advanced to the semi-finals without a fight after Oleksandra Oliynykova withdrew due to an abdominal muscle injury. This is the first time since March 2025 that she has reached a semi-final on tour again. Her only final to date was in Iasi, Romania, in 2024. Will another one follow today?
Match Of the Day
Age: 29
Born in: Szeghalom, Hungary
World ranking position: 97
Greatest success: WTA 125 Title in Hamburg (2024)
Age: 23
Born in: Pyatigorsk, Russia
World ranking position: 208
Greatest success: French Open Round of 16 (2023 & 2024)
Tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic is THE expert when it comes to the female tennis players at the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open. Her tip for the semi-final match between Anna Bondar and Elina Avanesyan:
Match Of the Day
Age: 31
Born in: Hamburg, Germany
World ranking position: 81
Greatest success: Third round at Roland Garros (2026)
Age: 30
Born in: Cairo, Egypt
World ranking position: 55
Greatest success: WTA 250 titles in Parma (2022) and Iaşi (2026)
Tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic is THE expert when it comes to the tennis players at the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open. Her tip for the semi-final match between Tamara Korpatsch and Mayar Sherif:
The four best players will battle it out for the title at the inaugural Hamburg Wheelchair Open. With Aniek van Koot, Lizzy de Greef (both from the Netherlands), Ksenia Chasteau from France, and China's Zhenzhen Zhu, the four top-seeded players are in the semi-finals of Germany's largest women's wheelchair tennis tournament, which counts towards the highest international category, the Premier Tour.
All four are among the top 10 in the world rankings for wheelchair tennis and did not drop a single set on quarter-final day. Among others, Ksenia Chasteau defeated German champion Britta Wend, who could not be rewarded for a strong performance with a place in the semi-finals, by 6:4 and 6:1.
On semi-final Saturday, Zhenzhen Zhu will first face Lizzy de Greef from 10.30 am, followed by top seed Aniek van Koot taking on the 20-year-old Ksenia Chasteau. The semi-final matches in the doubles competition, in which the two German representatives Britta Wend and Katharina Krüger were eliminated in the quarter-finals, will not take place before 12.30 pm. All matches of the Hamburg Wheelchair Open will be played on Matchcourt M1.
The Hamburg Wheelchair Open are supported by AIRBUS and LOTTO Hamburg.
One thing is clear: the Rothenbaum tournament wouldn't be the Rothenbaum tournament without Matthias Killing! For 20 years, his voice has echoed across the Centre Court and the grounds. On Friday afternoon, Killing was honoured for his decades of service on the Centre Court – here's to another 20 years together!
As part of ECE Days, the ECE Kids Camp invited young tennis players to the Rothenbaum facility for a training session. Led by tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic, they delivered a strong performance.
The duo Zhibek Kulambayeva/ Darja Semenistaja (who are competing in the doubles semi-final today) also offered the kids valuable tips and tricks. A day that the young tennis fans will remember!
Ultimately, nothing worked out! Top seed Oleksandra Oliynykova was unable to compete in her quarter-final due to an abdominal muscle injury.
„It's a real shame that I can't finish a great tournament like the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open, but I hope to come back here next year,“ said the 25-year-old Ukrainian. We would be very happy about that, Oleksandra! All the best, get well soon, and see you next year!
Fascination. Dynamism. Speed. These three words aptly describe what the audience can expect at the premiere of the Hamburg Wheelchair Open. Parallel to the final weekend of the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open, the world elite of wheelchair tennis will compete at Germany's largest women's wheelchair tennis tournament at Rothenbaum, a Premier Tier event. „The tournament is a milestone in national wheelchair tennis and an important international statement we are making,“ confirms Niklas Höfken, the tournament's Sporting Director. „For the visibility of wheelchair tennis in Germany, such a tournament is of invaluable benefit.“
For a level of performance like this, one would normally have to go to the Grand Slams, he explains. Niklas Höfken sees it as a strong signal from the players„ community that even wheelchair tennis players like Aniek Van Koot (fourth in the world rankings), who already has a long career behind her, know the importance of such an event: “For spectators, it's an absolute gift to see wheelchair tennis at this level in Hamburg."
A look at the structures also shows that paratennis is professionalising at a rapid pace. The equipment is getting better, prize money is increasing, and media visibility is growing. However, Niklas Höfken appeals: „Inclusion can only grow and become a matter of course through interaction.“ The Combined Event at Rothenbaum creates precisely this space. It's about visibility, recognition, and showing the audience how demanding paratennis is. „Only when people with and without disabilities meet on an equal footing do moments arise when it's realised: the wheelchair tennis players are just as professional, they celebrate a winner just as much, and they get annoyed by an unforced error just as much.“
„If we manage to make wheelchair tennis no longer something extraordinary but a natural part of organised tennis, then we will have gained a great deal,“ Niklas Höfken concludes. The Hamburg Wheelchair Open are moving forward. On Matchcourt M1 today (from 10:30 am), it's all about reaching the final.
Proper hydration isn't just important for female tennis players – it's also important for you, our dear visitors, and for the staff of the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open.
Fürst Bismarck mineral water offers wonderful refreshment, as the water is the right choice for all connoisseurs of good taste. Also discover the fruity lemonades and WELLPLUS varieties.
Do you have nothing planned for Sunday? Then head to Hamburger Rothenbaum! Before the singles final (12 noon), Martina Hingis and Andrea Petkovic will face each other in a show match.
Tickets for the final day are also valid for the show match and can be purchased from the online ticket shop. Children and young people up to the age of 16 have free entry on the final day.
On Friday, the Rothenbaum was all about inclusive cooperation: together with the Alexander Otto Sports Foundation, an Inclusion Day was organised as part of the ECE Day.
Under the motto „Tennis for everyone“, athletes from Special Olympics, who were in Saarland a few weeks ago, were invited along with the Alexander Otto Sport Foundation. Sport connects people, and that was clearly demonstrated once again on this day!
Creativity without limits! After peak sporting performances, fans of the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open can now experience peak creative performances: The LEGO Discovery Centre Hamburg is Germany's first new generation LEGO attraction. Across over 3,000 sqm and in twelve interactive play areas, children and families can build, play and get creative together. From the MINI WORLD Hamburg to exciting workshops with our Master Model Builders – together, you'll create moments that will be remembered for a long time.
And the best bit? As a tennis fan, you can save 25% on a visit to the LEGO Discovery Centre in Hamburg. This offer can only be booked via the link below or using the promotional code „HLO26’, and is valid for up to four people when booking by 30 September 2026.
On Friday afternoon, a long queue formed at the Explora Journeys stand in the Public Village, as „Rothenbaum specialist“ Anna Bondar took time for her fans during a meet-and-greet.
In this way, the Hungarian woman not only ensured beaming faces but also an unforgettable memento.
The MSC Hamburg Ladies Open is available year-round too: With our tournament merchandise, you're perfectly equipped anytime and anywhere. Whether it's with a cool tournament t-shirt, stylish tennis socks, or the official tournament towel – there's something for everyone here.
You can still make a purchase at our fan shop until Sunday. We look forward to seeing you!
Moving forward with a new partnership: LOTTO Hamburg is supporting the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open and the Hamburg Wheelchair Open for the first time this year.
For many years, LOTTO Hamburg has been actively involved in amateur and elite sports in Hamburg, with a focus on disabled sports. LOTTO Hamburg not only supports Special Olympics but also the Hamburg wheelchair basketball team, the BG Baskets.
The MSC Hamburg Ladies Open will be broadcast in Germany on Sky.
Would you like to learn more about the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open and Hamburg Wheelchair Open, and expand your knowledge about the top stars and rising hopes? Then grab a free copy at the Info Point! Clicking the button will also take you to the online version of our programme booklet.
