The History of the WTA Prague Open

What is the WTA Prague Open? It is a yearly tennis tournament for women, played in Prague in the Czech Republic. Since 2015, the WTA Prague Open has been an event on the WTA 250. The WTA Prague opens plays on outdoor hard courts. Before 2021, they played tennis on outdoor courts made of clay. The Tier of tennis events on the WTA Calendar that follows the Grand Slam Tournaments is the WTA Finals. 

The WTA Prague Open started in 2010. It was first an event on the ITF Circuit wagering $50,000 and was then increased to $100,000, increasing again to $250,000 in 2015. The WTA is a tennis tournament athletes perform on outdoor courts made of a hard-surface material.

What are the Grand Slam Tournaments?

There are four tennis tournaments in the Grand Slam itinerary. Each plays for two weeks, beginning in the middle of January with the Australian Open and extending to later May to the beginning of June with the French Open or Roland Garros tournament. The British match in Wimbledon is from June to July, rounding up with the U.S. Open from August to September. 

Once the results are in for the Grand Slam Tournament, the following Tier on the WTA calendar is the WTA Finals. For the past 50 years, the WTA Finals have been taking place. In addition, 2015 brought the inaugural edition of the WTA Elite Trophy. 

The WTA was initially played in October during the years 1972 to 1974. It was subsequently changed to March in 1975 up until 1986. Then, the WTA decided to start playing the tournament at the end of the year. A maximum of 700-point ranking is awarded to the WTA Elite Trophy winners. Winners of the WTA are then rewarded points according to their ranking, up to 1500 maximum. 

Who Are Some Winners of the WTA Prague Open?

The Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkove was the number eight seed when she entered the WTA Prague Open. On July 31, 2022, she was awarded her first WTA Tour title against the number seven seed, Anastasia Potapova. 

At only 24 years of age, Bouzkova joined fellow country women when she failed to drop a set during the tournament. Those other women are Lucie Safarova, Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Krjcikova, and Petra Kvitova. All share the same victory of winning the WTA Prague Open on their home turf.  

During the match, Bouzkova won, and the record Potapova held was broken by her ability of seven serves in seventy-one minutes. When she did this, she advanced to 1-3 in the WTA tournament finals. Unfortunately, in February, Bouzkova lost to Sloane Stephens, the former U.S. Open champion in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

How Many Awards Has the Czech Republic won in the WTA Tour? 

The Czech Republic is a country of only 10.7 million, yet, it has born several of the Top 100 tennis players. To give an exact number of those champions would be seven; this includes two that were Grand Slam! The two Grand Slam champs from the Czech Republic are Barbora Krejcikova and Petra Kvitova.  

In addition, since 2011, the Billie Jean King Cup trophy has been brought home to the Czech Republic six-time. There have been so many great members of the Czech team–from Hana Mandlikova to Jana Novotna. 

Who are the Up-and-Coming Stars of the WTA Prague Open?

The Czech Republic has already created many legendary tennis stars. Yet, with this newest group of teens, the sport of tennis has a positive outlook for the future. The Czech Republic would like to introduce some of the latest up-and-coming teen tennis stars to the Livesport Prague Open. 

Linda Noskova

First, there is 17-year-old Linda Noskova (born November 17, 2004). Linda has a current ranking of 112; her career-high ranking is 112. In the 2022 season following the Prague semifinals, her win/loss record was 29-10 (with 3-2 in the WTA main draws)  

Ms. Noskova has also earned the following highlights of the WTA Prague Open: 

• In 2022 her debut at the Roland Garrow held a tour-level main draw when she qualified for the Grand Slam on her first try.  
• Taking Emma Raducanu to three sets during the first round. 
• The following week she made it to the semifinals of the Makarska 125. 
• She then met the requirements for her first WTA quarter and semifinals. 
• She upset Alize Cornet during the 2022 Prague to earn a Top 50 win. 

Her ITF highlights include six more titles. These titles are the 2021 Prerov, W60; the 2022 Croissy-Beaubourg W60; and the 2022 Versmold W100.  In addition, Ms. Noskova has earned the following Junion highlights: the 2021 Roland Garros girls’ singles champion and a career-high No. 5. 

Lucie Havlickova

Lucie Havlickova was born on March 13, 2005. At only 17 years of age, she has a current ranking of 787 and a career-high of 758. Her win-loss record in 2022 was 12-8, and she is 1-1 in the main draws of the WTA.  

Her WTA highlights include the following: 

• She earned the WTA main draw at her debut in the 2021 Prague. 
• In the first round, following three sets, she fell to Anastasia Gasanova. 
• She then entered the WTA as a wildcard and in 2022 Prague won her first WTA main draw over Barbora Palicova.  

A highlight of the ITF includes taking the third round of the 2022 Ceska LIipa W60. 

Ms. Havlikova had the following junior highlights: champion (with Sara Bejlek) at the 2022 Roland Garros girls’ singles and double. She also places a career-high No. 2. 

Dominika Malkova

Dominika Salkova was born June 28, 2004, at only 18 years of age; she has a current ranking of 421. Currently, her high ranking is at 421 as well.  

Ms. Salkova has a win-loss record in 2022 of 20-9– in the WTA main draws, it was 1-1.  

Her highlights in the WTA include the following: 

• She beat Astra Sharma and Natalia Vikhlyantseva at the 2022 Prague for her debut and main draw. 
• She made it the second WTA in her career to qualify for the WTA draw. 
• Also, beating out Ylena In-Albon 6-1, 6-4 helped her get into the second-round play. Unfortunately, she lost to Marie Bouzhova.  

Highlights of the ITF

 In 2022, she entered as a qualifier in the 2022 Asijec W25, coming out as a champion.  Her junior highlights included her No. 24 as a career-high. 

Barbora Palicova

On March 11, 2004, another star was born in the Czech Republic to the world of tennis. At 18, she has a current ranking of 373; her career-high ranking has not yet been tallied. Ms. Palicova had a win-loss record in 2022 of 37-16–in the WTA main draws 0-1. Her highlights in the WTA include the following: 

• Winning a qualifying debut over Ellen Perez in the WTA 2020 Prague. 
• Defeating both Yanina Wickmayer and Viktoria Kuzmova in the 2022 Prague. 
• She qualified for her WTA main-draw debut but lost to Lucie Havlickova in the first round. 

Her ITF highlights also included: Becoming champion at the 2022 Antalya W15, and in the 2022 Glasgow W25 was runner-up. She had a career-high of No. 21 in her junior highlights.

Nikola Bartunkova

Nikola Bartunkova is one of the youngest of the up-and-coming stars to the WTA Prague Open. She came into this world on February 25, 2006, and at only 16 years of age has a current ranking of 353. Her career-high has yet to be tallied.  She had a win-loss record in 2022 of 20-8– in the WTA main draws 0-1.  

Highlights of the WTA include: 

• In 2021 she won her first qualifying match of the WTA in Istanbul against Leonie Kung. 
• However, during the second round, following three sets, she was defeated by Anastasia Gasanova. 
• She debuted the WTA main draw as a wildcard at the 2022 Istanbul. Yet, Anastasia Potapova, the new champion, defeated her in round one at the 2022 Prague by a score of 6-1, 6-4. 
• In addition, she also fell to Oksana Selkhmeteva in three sets during the first qualifying round. 

Nikola had the following ITF highlights: She placed runner-up at the 2021 Milovice W25 and the 2022 Istanbul W60.  Her junior highlights included selection as a semifinalist at the 2022 Roland Garros girls’ singles tournament and a doubles runner-up with Celine Naef.  In 2022, she completed the Wimbledon girls’ singles as a quarterfinalist with a career-high No. 8. 

Brenda Fruhvirtova

Brenda Fruhvirtova is our youngest up-and-coming tennis star, born on April 2, 2007. She has a current and career-high ranking of 322.  

In the 2022 season, she had a win-loss record of 22-5, which in the WTA main draws is 0-1.  

WTA highlights include: 

• In 2021 she made it to the second round of the Seoul 125 during her professional debut. 
• Her qualifying tour-level debut at the 2022 Guadalajara to make the main draw had her winning against Sara Errani and Leonie Kung. However, in the first round, champion Sloane Stephens defeated her.

The ITF highlights for Brenda include being the two-time 2022 Tucuman W25 Champion and at the 2022 Klosters W25.  She held a career-high of No. 3 as her junior highlight.