The dream of a home victory lives on! Native Hamburger Tamara Korpatsch is vying for the title at the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open final against Anna Bondar in front of her home crowd. The Bundesliga player from Der Club an der Alster knows the grounds like the back of her hand and is playing with the same freedom as in training. Could this be the key to one of the greatest successes of the 31-year-old's career?
Tamara Korpatsch is the first German to reach the final in three years, following Noma Noha Akugue. In 2021, tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic also reached the final. The last German winner was Steffi Graf in 1992. It's been a very long time! We think it's about time again!
In the semi-final, the Hanseatic player benefited from Mayar Sherif's retirement due to injury at a score of 6:1, 2:0. The Egyptian, having won 13 matches in a row, was exhausted and unable to counter the Hamburg player, who was playing furiously.
„Of course, I would have liked to finish the match. I think I played well and, above all, very bravely. I'm really, really satisfied with my performance,“ said Korpatsch after reaching the final, where the great support of the fans naturally also helped enormously. „Thank you very much to all the fans, especially to my little fan block over there in the corner. I feel so comfortable here. I can play just like I do in training. I'll just do everything before the final as I've always done this week. I also have all my lucky charms together. And I'll eat my pasta bolognese again,“ the Hamburg native revealed some of her rituals. Korpatsch celebrated her only WTA tournament victory to date in Cluj, Romania, in 2023.
For Anna Bondar, a final victory in Hamburg would be nothing less than the greatest success of her career to date. Last year, the Hungarian lost in the final at Rothenbaum to the Frenchwoman Lois Boisson, and in 2024 she secured the title in singles and doubles at the WTA 125 tournament. In total, she has won a remarkable 13 of her 14 matches so far at Rothenbaum. For the „final hat-trick,“ Bondar had to work for around three and a half hours on the Hamburg clay in the semi-final. Against qualifier Elina Avanesyan from Armenia, the 29-year-old saved four set points in the first set and even three match points in the third set. In the end, the „Hamburg lover“ triumphed 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.
„I honestly have no idea how I still won this match. I just kept at it and tried to play point by point. This atmosphere and the fans helped me so much. This is such a special place for me,“ Anna Bondar enthused. Similar to Korpatsch, she will also maintain her rituals. „For breakfast, I always have omelette with oatmeal,“ the Hungarian revealed her favourite meal for this tournament week. Incidentally, Korpatsch does not think Bondar's intensive match on Saturday will be an advantage for her. „I don't think so at all. I know these kinds of situations. You get a lot of energy from them. Besides, I know she's a very fit player,“ reported the local hero, who has won all four previous matches between the two. Could that be a good omen?
It could be a historic Sunday in any case. Is everyone ready to make tennis history together. Everything is set at the Rothenbaum for a grand finale!
Match Of the Day
Age: 29
Born in: Szeghalom, Hungary
World ranking position: 97
Greatest success: WTA 125 Title in Hamburg (2024)
Age: 31
Born in: Hamburg, Germany
World ranking position: 81
Greatest success: Third round at Roland Garros (2026)
Match Of the Day
Age: 22
Born in: Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands
World ranking position: 6
Greatest success: Two-time Junior World Champion (2020 & 2022)
Age: 35
Born in: Winterswijk, Netherlands
World ranking position: 4
Greatest success: Gold medal win at the Paralympics (2016 & 2020), Grand Slam wins (Australian Open 2013, US Open 2013, Wimbledon 2019)
It's going to be double the fun! The final day at Hamburg's Rothenbaum is set to begin at 10:30 AM with the women's doubles final. Four absolute specialists in this discipline will be battling it out on the centre court. Top seeds Magali Kempen (Belgium) and Alexandra Panova will face off against Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic and Nika Radisic. Panova won the Rothenbaum tournament in 2023 alongside Anna Danilina, and together with Belgium's Magali Kempen this year, they have only dropped eleven games on their path to the final. Jakupovic/Radisic also reached the final without losing a single set.
In short: These four are in absolutely top form and ready for the grand final!
Former world number one Martina Hingis is back at Rothenbaum! In 1998 she won the final against Jana Novotna, and in 2000 against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Now, tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic awaits the Swiss player today in the exhibition match (12 noon, Centre Court). Hingis is looking forward to the duel: „I think we've both been training a bit. We also played at Roland Garros. So we're in top form, full of joy and confident of a good game!“
To this day, she associates the Rothenbaum tournament with a great crowd and successful moments. „I've always loved Hamburg. Hamburg is a beautiful city, tennis-loving, and the grounds are also beautiful,“ the 45-year-old reminisced. In that spirit, here's to a good match and welcome back, dear Martina!
While every point is fought for on the courts, movement in the stands shouldn't be neglected either. Coach Max Krause animated the audience to a few minutes of physical activity as part of the „Active City Break“.
Our conclusion: Dear viewers, you are in top form!
On Saturday morning, the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open opened its doors not only to all tennis fans, but also to the Rotary Club. The meet-and-greet with tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic and a joint backstage tour led to lively discussions.
A trip to the Mercedes-Benz Signature Court was the perfect way to round off the visit. It was great to have you here!
The title at the inaugural Hamburg Wheelchair Open, Germany’s biggest women’s wheelchair tennis tournament, is definitely heading to the Netherlands. The two top seeds will face each other in the final on Sunday at 10.30 am on Centre Court. World number four Aniek van Koot will take on Lizzy de Greef, who is ranked sixth.
Whilst van Koot won her semi-final against France’s Ksenia Chasteau 6–2, 7–6, Lizzy de Greef triumphed in a closely fought match against China’s Zhenzhen Zhu 3–6, 7–6, 6–3. In this afternoon’s doubles final, the Dutch pair Jinte Bos and Lizzy de Greef will face Ksenia Chasteau (France) and Lucy Shuker (Great Britain).
International tennis stars, thousands of fans, and an experienced security team: U-Need accompanies the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open as a reliable partner for event security.
With well-trained staff and a thoroughly considered security concept, the company ensures a smooth operation – from admission to the final match ball.
The semi-final day was all about Mercedes-Benz: while Mercedes-Benz delighted fans during the day with mini car races and competitions, a big Mercedes-Benz after-match party took place in the evening!
DJ Happy, who usually provides the best atmosphere on the Centre Court, brought a thoroughly boisterous mood to the Public Village with his beats. A generous dose of good spirits was guaranteed!
Tennis lovers, take note! Do you have plans for Sunday? The Rothenbaum awaits you with „Legends On Court“: Before the singles final, Martina Hingis and tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic will face each other in a show match (12 noon).
Tickets for the final day are also valid for the show match and are available through the online ticket shop. Children and young people up to 16 years old get free entry on the final day!
Fun, games, and competition for the youngsters! This weekend, the Mini Cup Series North 2026 stops at Hamburg's Rothenbaum. The young talents in the U7, U8, U9, and U10 age groups can serve right next to the stars here and cheer along with the big names. The Mini Cup is organised by L2A Tennisturniere GbR. .
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 snatch up some bargains at our fan shop until today. We look forward to seeing you!
On Saturday, the forecourt of the Public Village filled with a host of female expertise. The reason: the Business Professional Women (BPW) network was on site. Together with tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic, tournament director Sandra Reichel welcomed the ladies for a business talk.
In a relaxed atmosphere, the focus of the visit was on personal exchange of experience, networking and, of course, high-class tennis.
A huge thank you to every single person who is part of the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open 2026! Whether in front of or behind the scenes, new to the team or have been with us for decades – without you, the tournament wouldn't be what it is!
The team wishes all visitors a wonderful final day. See you next year!
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.