Czech tennis player Linda Noskova captured her first-ever grass court title on Sunday, defeating American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the Berlin Open final to claim her second WTA singles championship overall.
Noskova, seeded eighth in the tournament, used her third break point opportunity to take control and win the opening set. Pegula, who had won the Berlin title in 2024, battled back strongly in the second set to even the match and push it to a deciding third set.
However, Noskova held her nerve in the final set, breaking Pegula’s serve early and holding on to close out the victory.
Speaking after her win, an emotional Noskova offered praise for her opponent. “Wow what a week. Obviously I want to congratulate Jessie. You’re incredible and a very tricky player to play on whatever surface. It was really tough to play you in the final,” she said.
She also had a lighthearted comment about her new hardware: “I don’t know where I’m gonna put this trophy, it’s too heavy!”
Currently ranked 13th in the world, Noskova is expected to crack the top 10 for the first time following the result. Pegula, meanwhile, saw her bid for a second Berlin title in three years come up short, despite having defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
Sunday’s final did not go off without a hitch — extreme weather forced the evacuation of spectators before play could begin, and tournament organizers later issued an apology after receiving criticism over how staff handled the evacuation process.
