Prague Open: your guide to the WTA tournament in Prague — Štvanice, tickets, transport

Once a year, at the end of July, Prague turns into a tennis city for a week: this is when the Prague Open comes to town — the only WTA women's tour event held in Czechia. A ticket costs less than dinner on Old Town Square, the players come from the top fifty of the world rankings, and since 2026 everything takes place on Štvanice Island, just a ten-minute walk from the metro in the heart of the city. It's a rare kind of event that works equally well solo, with a kid in tow, or as a full family outing. Here's everything you need to know: what the tournament is, where to find it, how to get there, and what it costs.

What kind of tournament is this

Its official name is Prague Open, though sponsorship branding makes it Livesport Prague Open. It falls under the WTA 250 category — the entry tier of the main women's tour. That's neither Grand Slam territory nor an amateur event: the champion earns 250 ranking points in singles and doubles, and the total prize fund in 2026 reached $283,347 (with roughly $37,000 going to the singles winner).

For Prague, this is the biggest international tennis tournament on Czech soil and the one chance each year to watch Czech players compete at home at tour level. It sits in the calendar between Wimbledon and the American hard-court swing, which means the world's top 10 rarely show up — but the Czech contingent is always huge.

• Main draw: 32 singles players (8 seeded, 6 from qualifying, 4 wild cards) and 16 doubles teams
• Surface: outdoor hard court. Played on clay from 2010 to 2020, switched to hard court from 2021 onward

When it takes place

Every year at the end of July. The weekly structure repeats itself: two days of qualifying, followed by seven days of the main draw. In 2026, qualifying ran July 18–19, with the main draw from July 20 to 26.

• Monday–Thursday — first and second rounds, the busiest match days and the cheapest tickets
• Friday — quarterfinals
• Saturday — semifinals
• Sunday — finals: doubles first, then singles. In 2026 the session started at 11:00

The exact order of play for each day is published the evening before on the WTA website — start times in Czechia often shift, so it's worth double-checking on the morning of your visit.

Where it happens: Štvanice Island

Since 2026, the tournament has been hosted at I. ČLTK Praha on Štvanice Island (Ostrov Štvanice), Prague 7 — an island on the Vltava River between Prague 7 and Prague 8. Through 2025, the event was held at TK Sparta Praha in Stromovka Park; TK Sparta Praha remains the organizer even after the move.

Two reasons were given for the relocation: transport accessibility and capacity. The center court at Štvanice holds 6,248 spectators — the arena opened in 1986 and is a historic cradle of Czech tennis: it hosted Davis Cup and Fed Cup matches, and in 2006 Martina Navratilova herself played here. An open bowl on a river island, with a statue of a tennis player at the entrance — it's one of the most atmospheric tennis venues in Central Europe.

Getting there by public transport

• Metro line C, Vltavská station — about a 10-minute walk, descending to the island via Hlávkův most (Hlávka Bridge)
• Metro line B or C, Florenc station — 10–15 minutes on foot, also via Hlávkův most
• From the Main Train Station (Praha hlavní nádraží) — take metro line C to Vltavská or Florenc
• From Masaryk Station — about a 15-minute walk, or take the metro via Florenc
• Note: the Štvanice tram stop is closed during the tournament — you can't get there by tram, so plan on the metro instead
• By car: there's no parking at the venue whatsoever. Organizers recommend using P+R lots on the outskirts and switching to the metro, or paid garages in the center

Ticket prices and where to buy

Tickets are sold through Ticketportal and at the box office by the entrance, which opens an hour before the first match of the day. 2026 prices (per day):

• Qualifying day — 200 CZK
• Monday–Thursday of the main draw — 400 CZK
• Friday, quarterfinals — 500 CZK
• Saturday, semifinals — 600 CZK
• Sunday, finals — 700 CZK
• Full 7-day pass — 3,400 CZK (sold out completely in 2026)

On Saturday and Sunday, tickets are sold for specific numbered seats. On other days, a ticket grants access to the grounds and unreserved seating on the center court stands. A practical tip: weekend tickets sell out fast, especially if Czech players make it to the semifinals, while weekday tickets are almost always available a couple of days before the tournament starts. Prices change from year to year, so check Ticketportal before buying.

Atmosphere — and why it's a great family outing

The main difference between a tournament this size and the big arenas is that nothing here feels overwhelming. For 400–500 crowns you get a whole day on the grounds: you can settle in at center court, or wander among the side courts where the players are just a few meters away.

• Every ticket holder is guaranteed a seat at center court; side courts work on a first-come, first-served basis
• Gates open an hour before the first match
• Food and drink stalls operate on-site — beer, wine, pastries
• Wheelchair access is available; a ZTP/P card admits the holder plus one companion
• Children under 3 get in free

There's virtually no language barrier: the score is called out in English, and everything else is clear without words. It makes for a great day out if you live in Prague and are looking for something to do with the kids on a hot Saturday.

Tournament history

The Prague Open began in 2010 as an ITF event with a $50,000 prize fund, under the name Sparta Prague Open. It was upgraded to WTA International status in 2015, and became a WTA 250 event in 2021 following the tour's category reform. Livesport has been the title sponsor since 2024. The 2026 edition marked the tournament's 17th year.

The tournament's record holder is Lucie Šafářová, with three titles (2012, 2013, 2016) — the only player to have successfully defended the championship here. In doubles, Lucie Hradecká holds three titles (2014, 2020, 2021).

Singles champions of the WTA era: Karolína Plíšková (2015), Šafářová (2016), Mona Barthel (2017), Petra Kvitová (2018), Jil Teichmann (2019), Simona Halep (2020), Barbora Krejčíková (2021), Marie Bouzková (2022), Nao Hibino (2023), Magda Linette (2024), and Bouzková again (2025).

Czech stars tied to the tournament

For Czech tennis, this is a home tournament in the truest sense. Kvitová and Karolína Plíšková have both won here, Marie Bouzková has taken the title twice (2022 and 2025), and Barbora Krejčíková — a Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion — won it in 2021. Krejčíková has said outright that she comes specifically for the home crowd: "It's an opportunity you only get once a year."

The tournament also serves as a showcase for the next generation of Czech talent: Tereza Valentová, Sára Bejlek, Nikola Bartůňková, Dominika Šalková, sisters Alena and Jana Kovačková, and the doubles pair Lucie Havlíčková / Laura Samson all regularly receive wild cards and main draw spots here. In some years, Czech players fill most of the seeded slots, turning the quarterfinals into a series of local derbies.

If you're not going in person

• ČT sport — Czech public television broadcasts the tournament all week
• ČT sport Plus — an additional online stream via iVysílání
• CANAL+ Sport 2 — the pay channel holding WTA tour rights in Czechia
• Live scores and draws are available on Livesport.cz and the official WTA website

Broadcast start times may differ slightly from actual match start times, so it's worth checking the ČT sport schedule on the day of play.

By the Around Prague newsroom