Czech player Linda Noskova claimed the WTA 500 tournament title in Berlin on Sunday, defeating American Jessica Pegula in a three-set final. Noskova, ranked 13th in the world, overcame the fourth-ranked Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a match delayed by nearly six hours due to severe weather that prompted an evacuation of the venue in the German capital.
The 21-year-old Noskova secured the opening set with strong play, faced resistance in the second set as Pegula responded to even the match, but ultimately regained control in the deciding set to win her second career title and first at the WTA 500 level. The victory is projected to propel Noskova into the top 10 of the WTA rankings for the first time when updated next week.
“It’s very incredible and unforgettable for me,” Noskova said after the match. “It’s my second title, so like I said, you never forget the first ones, but you always never forget the second ones as well.”
Pegula, aged 32 and yet to secure a Grand Slam title, fell short in Berlin despite having earlier eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. This marked Pegula’s second final appearance at the tournament. The match was a key preparatory event ahead of Wimbledon, which begins June 29.
Noskova had progressed comfortably through the semis, defeating qualifier Alexandra Eala of the Philippines before challenging Pegula in the final. Pegula managed to break Noskova once in the second set, marking the only set Noskova dropped during the tournament. However, an early break in the final set by Noskova proved decisive. The Czech player is slated to remain in Germany for the upcoming Bad Homburg tournament before heading to England for Wimbledon.
In a separate event in Halle Westfalen, Germany, American Frances Tiafoe secured the ATP 500 title with a straight-sets victory over fellow American Taylor Fritz. Tiafoe defeated the ninth-ranked Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in just over an hour, relying on a powerful serve and conceding only seven points on serve during the match.
The 28-year-old Tiafoe claimed his fourth career title and first ATP 500 win since 2023, becoming the first American to win the Halle tournament. His route to the final included wins over three top-10 players: French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli, world number four Felix Auger Aliassime, and Fritz. Reflecting on his performance, Tiafoe said, “Let’s keep going. Let’s enjoy this one. Let’s get ready for SW19 in a week,” referring to Wimbledon.
Fritz, who reached the final after overcoming French Open champion Alexander Zverev in a three-set semifinal on Saturday, experienced a disappointing week on grass courts. The 28-year-old lost a second consecutive final on the surface after falling to Ben Shelton in the Stuttgart final the previous Sunday. Prior to this week, Fritz had been undefeated in grass-court finals.
Both Noskova and Tiafoe now look ahead to Wimbledon, where they hope to translate their strong pre-tournament form into deeper runs at the Grand Slam event scheduled to begin June 29.