Great spirits, fantastic sport with a Hamburg local in the final, parasport and varied side events for the whole family – this combination made the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open 2026 a unique event. Furthermore, the WTA 250 tournament at Rothenbaum gained a new level of prestige through the simultaneously held inaugural Hamburg Wheelchair Open, the largest women's wheelchair tennis tournament in Germany which belongs to the highest category of Premier Tour tournaments internationally. It has also been enhanced with an additional, attractive tier.
„We were able to create a connection between top-class sport, world-class parasport, and the appearance of two tennis legends with initial tennis matches for children, uniting all of this under one roof with a feel-good event for „young and old“. We have once again succeeded in demonstrating the unifying power of sport. The concept behind it is: “We are more than a tennis tournament'," summarises tournament director Sandra Reichel about the event.
The concept of a sports and family event, in particular, was very positively received by the nearly 20,000 visitors over the course of the tournament week. „We had many children at the venue who were either there as fans or actively participated in the MSC Kids Cup, the ECE Kids Camp, or the Asklepios taster training. These are all important initiatives to get the next generation excited about sports, especially tennis, of course,“ stated tournament director Sandra Reichel. At the same time, the activation of various networks such as Rotary and the women's network „Business Professional Women“ has introduced new social groups to the tournament.
A firm pillar of the tournament is the established tradition of involving Hamburg's disabled sports clubs, who were invited in cooperation with the Alexander Otto Sport Foundation and Special Olympics Hamburg. In this way, inclusion has become a fixed point of the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open in recent years. The logical consequence of this was the first-ever staging of the Hamburg Wheelchair Open. „From our perspective, this new format of the Combined Event has proven itself completely. The feedback from all sides and the quality of the matches were outstanding,“ Reichel noted, adding: „Special thanks go to our sponsors and partners. In addition to MSC Germany, the ECE Group, EDEKA, and Asklepios, we have gained new partners in the wheelchair sector with Mercedes-Benz, Lotto Hamburg, and also AIRBUS, who have definitely enriched the tournament through their commitment.“
From a sporting perspective, the German players have succeeded in using the tournament as a stage for themselves. A total of eight local favourites were competing in the main draw. To be remembered are the first WTA Tour victory for the 16-year-old Victoria Brand from Kiel, who got through a round of qualifying, and the first main draw match win on the WTA Tour for Julia Stusek. Former world number two Paula Badosa, who reached the quarter-finals, brought great international prestige. However, the most spectacular success story was written by Tamara Korpatsch, who stormed her way to the final at her home tournament and captured the hearts of the fans. „Tamara Korpatsch's success story this week is simply incredible and makes me very proud personally. The German players had a great showing this week and we saw high-class sport overall. The field of competitors was extremely balanced, and we saw many close three-set matches, some lasting over three hours,“ says Sandra Reichel. Another highlight of the tournament week was the exhibition match between tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic and former world number one Martina Hingis on Sunday afternoon.
The combination of top-level sport, important societal issues, and the positioning of the event as a family-friendly occasion also impressed Dietloff von Arnim, President of the German Tennis Federation (DTB). „Tennis, inclusion, and young fans – the MSC Hamburg Ladies have shown how creativity and courage can enrich a tournament and make it a special experience. The fact that so many German players were involved underscores the great sporting importance for the DTB and the development of our junior talent. My thanks go to Sandra Reichel and her team, who have given women's tennis a significant stage at Hamburg's Rothenbaum once again since 2021,“ explained von Arnim.