MARIBOR/STARNBERG, August 31, 2026
This year’s WTT tournament season in Slovenia came to a perfect conclusion. At the final event of the season, the i-Vent Branik Open 2026, featuring a prize purse of US$30,000, Sebastian Dominko claimed both the singles and doubles titles at TK Branik Maribor.
It was the third victory for a Slovenian player at a home tournament this season. Alongside Dominko, Bor Artnak (Litija) and Alja Senica (Rogaška Slatina) also lifted titles on home soil.
The i-Vent Branik Open once again highlighted the excellent organizational standards of TK Branik Maribor, while Slovenian players provided plenty of reasons for the home crowd to celebrate. No fewer than 22 Slovenian players competed at the tournament, including 14 in the main draw.
“It was certainly one of the most special moments since I became tournament director and since I started working at TK Branik. We could not have wished for a better scenario. Excellent and flawless organization, an incredible performance by Branik’s players, who continue to leave a major mark on Slovenian tennis, and a double victory for our players in both singles and doubles – it hardly gets any better,” tournament director Matej Susac said proudly.
“As a club, we have once again demonstrated our quality, both organizationally and competitively. I believe that together with Tennis Slovenia, we can already start thinking about hosting a higher-level tournament – a Challenger – because we have shown that we are capable of organizing one. My sincere thanks go to all our sponsors, Tennis Slovenia, the City of Maribor and all the tennis fans and supporters of our club who helped create this exceptional event. After several years, TK Branik has once again reclaimed the place it deserves. This was a celebration of Slovenian tennis.”
Dominko doubles up on home soil
Dominko produced an outstanding week on his home courts, finishing the tournament with two trophies. After winning the doubles title, he completed the double on Sunday by capturing the singles crown.
The Slovenian opened his campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Matic Dimic before defeating Stefan Popovic by the same score in the second round. In the quarterfinals, Dominko overcame second seed Dimitar Kuzmanov of Bulgaria in a demanding contest, winning 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2.
The semifinals brought an all-Slovenian clash, with Dominko defeating Filip Jeff Planinsek 6-3, 6-4. Just a few hours later, the two players were back on court together for the doubles final.
In the singles championship match, Dominko faced top seed Stefano Pieri of Italy. After losing the opening set, the Slovenian showed remarkable composure to turn the match around and claim a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory – one of the biggest wins of his career so far.
“Playing at home is always something special, especially at the club where I started my tennis journey. That makes this victory really meaningful to me. It’s great to see that the hard work I’ve put in recently is also showing on court,” Dominko said.
“I’m happy with my level and my form, and above all I want to build on this going forward. Next week I’ll play a tournament in France, followed by the Davis Cup, which will certainly be one of the highlights of this period.”
Dominko and Planinsek completed their successful week by winning the doubles final 7-5, 6-2 against Tanner Dean and Arjun Tripathi. The Slovenian duo had defeated brothers Nik and Mak Mikovic 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals.
Slovenia turns focus to Davis Cup
The strong performances in Maribor also pleased Slovenia captain Grega Zemlja. Slovenia will host Israel in the second round of the Davis Cup on September 18–19 in Ljubljana.
The Slovenian team will be represented by Bor Artnak, Filip Jeff Planinšek, Sebastian Dominko and Žiga Šeško.
