Linda Noskova wins Berlin Open, reaches top 10

Czech player Linda Noskova won the Berlin Open on Sunday, defeating American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to claim her first career title on grass. The victory at the Steffi Graf Stadium marks the 21-year-old’s second WTA singles championship and will propel her into the world’s top 10 rankings for the first time on Monday.

The final was delayed for over five hours due to heavy rain and high winds that caused flooding and forced a temporary evacuation of spectators. When play began, the eighth-seeded Noskova started strongly, breaking Pegula’s serve early to take the first set. Pegula, the 2024 Berlin champion and third seed, responded by raising her level to win the second set and force a decider.

Noskova regained control in the final set, securing an early break and maintaining her aggressive baseline game to close out the match. She finished with 39 winners. Pegula, who had saved five match points to win the title two years ago, was unable to mount a similar comeback, missing out on what would have been her 12th career singles title.

In post-match remarks, Noskova praised her opponent, calling Pegula an incredible and tricky player. She added that she was relieved to have...