HAMBURG/STARNBERG, July 21, 2026
German teenager Julia Stusek celebrated a historic milestone on Tuesday at the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open, claiming the first WTA main-draw victory of her career in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at the Rothenbaum Tennis Complex.
The 18-year-old produced a remarkable comeback against former French Open semifinalist Nadia Podoroska, winning 3–6, 6–3, 6–4 after more than two and a half hours on Center Court. It was the most significant success of Stusek’s young professional career.
After dropping the opening set, the Rheinfelden native settled into the match and began to play with increasing confidence, matching Podoroska from the baseline and showing impressive composure in the decisive moments of the third set.
“Hopefully this was the first of many wins,” Stusek said after converting match point. “I’m so happy that I was able to turn it around after the first set. I tried to transform my nervousness into pure joy. It’s so much fun, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play here.”
With the victory, Stusek has moved into the second round of the WTA 250 event and could now be on course for an all-German clash in the round of 16. Her next opponent will be the winner of the match between Hamburg’s Tamara Korpatsch and Victoria Kasintseva of Andorra.
The singles draw is complete ⬇️ Check it out! pic.twitter.com/AHv9zo6oPf
— MSC Ladies Hamburg Open (@hamburgopen) July 20, 2026
Stusek began playing at a young age and is one of Germany’s most promising rising talents in women’s professional tennis. She won her first match on the Pro Circuit at just 14 years old.
On the junior circuit, she reached the girls’ doubles finals at both the 2024 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open.
