BERLIN/STARNBERG, May 19, 2026
The world elite of women’s tennis will return to the German capital in just 25 days when the VANDA Pharmaceuticals Berlin Tennis Open takes place from June 13 to 21, 2026 at the historic LTTC “Rot-Weiß” Berlin.
Once again, the WTA 500 event has attracted one of the strongest player fields on the entire tour. Nine of the current Top 10 players in the WTA Rankings, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff, will compete on the grass courts of the Steffi Graf Stadium in the final major preparation event before Wimbledon.
In total, nine Top 10 players and 16 members of the Top 20 are entered into the main draw, which offers $1.2 million in prize money and valuable ranking points just two weeks ahead of The Championships at Wimbledon.
Sabalenka arrives in Berlin after another impressive season highlighted by titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells and Miami. The Belarusian defeated both Rybakina and Gauff in three-set finals during her recent run of success. Rybakina, meanwhile, claimed her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year after previously winning Wimbledon in 2022.
The two stars produced one of the most memorable matches of the 2025 Berlin tournament in the quarterfinals, when Sabalenka saved four match points in a dramatic third-set tie-break before prevailing 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(6) after two hours and 42 minutes.
Tournament director Markus Zoecke believes Berlin has firmly established itself as one of the premier events on the WTA calendar.
“Berlin and the VANDA Pharmaceuticals Berlin Tennis Open have enormous appeal for the players. Everybody wants to compete here,” Zoecke said. “Our fans can look forward to more world-class players than at some major events: nine Top 10 players, four Grand Slam champions in Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff and Madison Keys, as well as Olympic champion Belinda Bencic. It doesn’t get much better than this.”
Andrea Petkovic, who serves as the tournament’s “Director of Excitement,” also expects another outstanding edition.
“It doesn’t surprise me, but it makes me incredibly happy to see such a strong field again in Berlin,” Petkovic said. “Top-class tennis is guaranteed. Maybe we will even see the ultimate showdown between Sabalenka and Rybakina for the world No. 1 ranking.”
Germany’s hopes will once again rest largely on Eva Lys. The Hamburg native, who made a breakthrough run to the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open as a lucky loser, has received a wildcard into the main draw.
Organizers are also responding to significantly increased spectator demand with several infrastructure upgrades around the venue. A second public entrance near Hundekehlesee will be introduced, the entire club grounds will be used for the first time, and an additional temporary grandstand with capacity for 424 spectators per day will be added to Steffi Graf Stadium.
“We are taking the next step in the tournament’s development,” said Vjeko Curic, Co-Founder and CFO of tournament organizer Perfect Match. “Demand for tickets, especially from the quarterfinals onward, has been enormous. With the additional grandstand we want to allow even more fans to experience the Berlin Tennis Open.”
The tournament also begins a new era in 2026 with pharmaceutical company VANDA Pharmaceuticals joining as title sponsor through 2028.
“Together with the global brand VANDA Pharmaceuticals, we want to continue developing the tournament and establish the Berlin Tennis Open as one of the best events on the WTA Tour,” Curic added.
Among the other leading names in the field are Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Elina Svitolina, Mirra Andreeva, Karolina Muchova, Jasmine Paolini, Madison Keys and Belinda Bencic — guaranteeing another exceptional week of grass-court tennis in Berlin.
