Barbora Krejcikova defeated Maria Sakkari 7-6(5), 6-3 in the final of the WTA Athens Open on Sunday. The match took place at the Athens Olympic Tennis Centre in Greece. Krejcikova, the third seed from the Czech Republic, won her first title of the 2026 season. Sakkari, the Greek player and local favorite, reached the final but lost on home soil.
In the first set, Sakkari moved ahead to a 4-1 lead. Krejcikova recovered the break and leveled the set. The players entered a tiebreak. Krejcikova won the tiebreak 7-5 to take the opening set after 58 minutes of play.
The second set began with Sakkari breaking serve to lead early. Krejcikova broke back immediately to even the set. She held her serve in the following games and broke Sakkari again to close out the match 6-3. The full contest lasted under one hour and 45 minutes.
Krejcikova finished the tournament with consistent returns and strong play in key points. Sakkari won the first set tiebreak in her path to the final but could not repeat that success against Krejcikova. Krejcikova converted break points at important times in both sets.
Sakkari had the support of the home crowd throughout the event. She advanced to the final after wins in earlier rounds, including a victory over Polina Kudermetova. Krejcikova defeated several opponents on her way to the title match, including a straight sets win over Viktoriya Tomova in the second round.
This result marks Krejcikova's ninth career WTA title. Her previous title came at Wimbledon two years ago. The Athens Open returned to the WTA calendar after a long absence. It is a hard court event that featured strong performances from both finalists.
Krejcikova held her serve more effectively in the later stages of the match. Sakkari created opportunities but lost the decisive points in the second set. The players combined for a competitive final that went to a tiebreak in the first set.
The victory gives Krejcikova momentum heading into the rest of the season. Sakkari will look to build on her run in future events. The final provided a clear outcome based on the play from both sides.