Krejcikova tops hometown favorite Sakkari in Athens for ninth career title

Barbora Krejcikova spoiled the home crowd's anticipated celebration Sunday, defeating Greek hopeful Maria Sakkari 7-6 (5), 6-3 in 1 hour and 43 minutes to win the 2026 Vanda Pharmaceuticals Athens Open.

Sakkari jumped out to early leads in both sets -- up 4-1 in the first before losing in a tiebreak, then breaking first for a 2-1 edge in the second -- but Krejcikova reeled her in each time. The Czech closed by taking five of the final six games, including the last three, to seal the win.

During her victory speech, Krejcikova reflected on what it meant to share the court with Sakkari on such a meaningful day.

"It's been a huge privilege to be here with you today at such a historic moment for you," Krejcikova said during the trophy presentation. "I think playing in front of the home crowd is something very, very special, and I'm really pleased and happy that you could experience it."

The win marked Krejcikova's ninth career WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz singles title and her first since Wimbledon in 2024. She improved to 9-6 in tour-level finals and maintained her perfect record against Sakkari, winning all four of their meetings.

It's the latest milestone in what will surely go down as a Hall of Fame career for the Czech, who also owns 20 doubles titles to her credit, 12 combined Grand Slams across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, and a gold medal from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The former doubles World No. 1 and singles No. 2 is projected to rise to No. 26 in the PIF WTA Rankings on Monday after a series of injuries pushed her down the rankings. Her form this week suggested even more, as she dropped just one set in a run that included wins over Zheng Qinwen, Clara Tauson and Sakkari.

"It's great," Krejcikova said to press afterward. "It's something very special and incredible, and it's a unique experience, because I didn't feel like this for such a long period. I'm just very happy, and I'm going to enjoy every moment now."

Sakkari's emotional Athens run ends in the final

Sakkari, meanwhile, is expected to climb to No. 33 after reaching the final without dropping a set, flashing the form that once carried her into the Top 5 -- and, more importantly, delighting Greek fans during the WTA Tour's return to Athens for the first time since 1990.

Despite the loss, Sakkari matched her mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou, by reaching a tour-level final on Greek soil. She thanked her family and the fans during her runner-up speech for their unwavering support.

"I never thought that I would be standing here today, playing in front of this crowd," Sakkari said. "You made me a player. You and, of course, my family, my grandfather and everyone. You made this career possible, so thank you. Thank you for believing in me like no one else."

Chan and Kato prevail in third straight super tiebreak to win doubles title

For the third match in a row, Angel Chan and Miyu Kato faced a super tiebreak. And for the third match in a row, the No. 1 seeds came out on top, defeating Maia Lumsden and Tang Qianhui 7-6 (3), 4-6, [10-7] in just over two hours to win the Athens doubles title.

The win over the No. 4 seeds followed victories over No. 3 seeds Eudice Chong and Katarzyna Piter in the semifinals and Alina Korneeva and Polina Kudermetova in the quarterfinals. In all three matches, Chan and Kato won the first set, dropped the second and emerged victorious in the super tiebreak.

It's the 22nd WTA doubles title for Chan and her first at tour level since 2024 -- a run that coincidentally also involved a Kudermetova sister, Veronika, as her partner. For Kato, it marks her sixth WTA doubles title and, like Chan, her first tour-level crown in more than two years.