Prague Open 2026: Krejčíková and Valentová into the semis — tickets, times, where to watch

Friday's quarterfinals at Štvanice delivered the tournament's biggest shock: defending champion Markéta Vondroušová... wait, actually it was Marie Bouzková, knocked out by 18-year-old Tereza Valentová. That means Sunday's final will crown a brand-new champion, whatever the outcome. Two of the four semifinalists are Czech, and both play on Centre Court on Saturday. Here's who plays whom, at what time, how much tickets cost, and where to watch if you can't make it in person.

Valentová dumps out the champion — and steals the show

The match of the week was played on the Štvanice island Centre Court: Tereza Valentová (seed No. 5, world No. 49) beat top seed and two-time Prague champion Marie Bouzková 2:6, 6:4, 7:6 (8:6). The third set alone lasted 79 minutes and went to a tiebreak. It was Valentová's first career win over Bouzková.

After the match, Bouzková admitted her opponent "found her rhythm and played fearlessly," while she herself lost the plot on key return games in the decider. The tournament has thus lost its defending champion: Bouzková won here in 2022 and 2025, but this year the trophy is guaranteed to change hands — none of this year's past winners made it to the semifinals.

Who's through to the semifinals

• Barbora Krejčíková (CZE, 2) beat Dominika Šalková (CZE, qualifier) 6:3, 6:3 in 79 minutes — her eighth straight win.
• Tereza Valentová (CZE, 5) def. Marie Bouzková (CZE, 1) 2:6, 6:4, 7:6 (8:6).
• Lilli Tagger (AUT) beat Sára Bejlek (CZE, 3) 6:3, 6:4.
• Daria Snigur (UKR, 8) dispatched Lanlana Tararudee (THA) 6:0, 6:3, becoming the first Ukrainian to reach a Prague semifinal.

Krejčíková is playing at home — and hasn't dropped a set yet

Barbora Krejčíková is the story worth heading to Štvanice for. The former Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion arrived in Prague on a seven-match winning streak, having just claimed the title in Athens — her first in two years. She's since powered through three all-Czech duels in a row: Linda Fruhvirtová (6:2, 6:4), Lucie Havlíčková (6:4, 6:2) and Dominika Šalková (6:3, 6:3), without dropping a single set all week. Krejčíková has been candid that after Wimbledon and Athens, she would have skipped this week entirely had the tournament not been on home soil: "This kind of opportunity comes around once a year."

Fifteen Czechs were in the draw, six of the eight seeds were Czech, and three of the four quarterfinals turned out to be all-Czech affairs. Besides Bouzková and Bejlek, the tournament also saw the exits of Nikola Bartůňková (lost to Tararudee in two tiebreaks in the second round), Havlíčková, Fruhvirtová, Laura Samson and Jana Kovačková.

Doubles: the Kovačková sisters stop one step short of the final

Wild cards Alena and Jana Kovačková knocked out fifth seeds Martins/Ninomiya (3:6, 6:3, [11:9]), but fell in the semifinal to Britain's Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden 6:3, 3:6, [3:10]. The British pair are already through to the final. The other semifinal — Chan Hao-ching/Miyu Kato against Czechs Lucie Havlíčková and Laura Samson — had no confirmed result at the time of publication, so the last Czech hope in doubles is still alive.

When to watch and where

Saturday, July 25 — semifinals, Štvanice Centre Court: Valentová vs. Snigur, and Tagger vs. Krejčíková. Timing reports vary: the Centre Court session may start as early as 11:30, with the semifinals themselves listed for 13:30 and 15:00. Check the official order of play on wtatennis.com in the morning.

Sunday, July 26 — finals, session starts at 11:00: the doubles final first, followed by the singles final. The champion takes home 250 WTA points and $37,390.

TV coverage all week comes from ČT sport (plus the ČT sport Plus online stream on iVysílání); WTA rights in Czechia also belong to pay-TV channel CANAL+ Sport 2. Free streams are available to registered users of TV Tipsport and TV Chance, and the match is also listed on Betano TV. Live scores can be followed on livesport.cz and wtatennis.com.

Tickets and getting there

Tickets are sold via Ticketportal and at the box office by the entrance, which opens an hour before the first match of the day. Prices: Saturday (semifinals) — 600 CZK, Sunday (finals) — 700 CZK. The full-week pass (3,400 CZK) is already sold out. Saturday and Sunday tickets are for specific numbered seats. With both Czech players in action on Saturday and Centre Court holding 6,248 spectators, don't wait around — the Czech press reports tickets are "disappearing very fast." Double-check the price on Ticketportal before buying, as outdated figures are floating around online.

In 2026 the tournament moved for the first time from Stromovka to the historic island of Štvanice (Prague 7), in search of a bigger stadium and easier access. Getting there: take Metro line C to Vltavská and walk roughly 10 minutes across Hlávka Bridge, or take Metro line B/C to Florenc (10–15 minutes on foot). From the Main Train Station, take Metro C to Vltavská or Florenc; from Masaryk Station, it's about a 15-minute walk. Note that the Štvanice tram stop is closed for the duration of the tournament. There's no parking at the venue — organizers recommend using P+R sites on the outskirts and taking the metro.

On site: every ticket guarantees a seat on Centre Court; the outer courts are first-come, first-served. Food and drink stalls are open, wheelchair access is available, ZTP/P cardholders may bring a companion free of charge, and children under 3 get in free.

By the Around Prague newsroom