MARIA UNLUCKY IN OPENER – TOP 10 STARS PRAISE KURPARK ATMOSPHERE

Tatjana Maria's dream of a grass-court double came to an early end at the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt (until 28 June): just one week after her sensational triumph at London’s Queen’s Club, Germany’s number one was defeated in her opening match.

“Today wasn’t my best day. Sometimes it comes down to just one or two points,” said Maria, who missed a set point in the second set of her 0-6, 6-7 (1-7) loss to Leylah Fernandez. At Queen’s Club, the 37-year-old had dominated the Canadian in the first round without much trouble.

Maria sets sights on Wimbledon after early disappointment

After the loss on a sold-out Spielbank Bad Homburg Centre Court, Maria—who had received a wildcard into the main draw—was visibly disappointed. Still, she looked ahead with optimism to Wimbledon (starting 30 June), where she famously reached the semifinals in 2022. “I’m unseeded there and just want to enjoy the tournament,” said the mother of two, quickly regaining her smile: “I love Wimbledon!”

Maria had a rough start to her match against Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist. With temperatures soaring to 35°C, the balls bounced higher than usual, making Maria’s trademark slices—normally one of her weapons—less effective than usual.

Pegula and Andreeva confident in their Wimbledon preparation

Meanwhile, the top 10 players in the draw are looking forward to their first matches at the idyllic TC Bad Homburg venue. “The Kurpark is so peaceful and beautiful. I walk a lot here—it’s very relaxing—and the weather is fantastic,” said top seed and world number three Jessica Pegula.

Eighteen-year-old rising star Mirra Andreeva (WTA No. 7) was also full of praise during Media Day, calling the tournament the perfect warm-up for Wimbledon: “I really like it here in Bad Homburg. I just enjoy this event so much!”

Like Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini (WTA No. 5) and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek (WTA No. 8), Pegula and Andreeva received a first-round bye and will begin their campaigns on Tuesday or Wednesday.
World number nine Emma Navarro, however, was already in action on Sunday, booking her place in the round of 16 with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Marta Kostyuk.

Osaka to debut Monday – 2024 final rematch in round one

Eva Lys, on the other hand, missed out on a spot in the main draw. The Australian Open round-of-16 finisher had to retire from her second-round qualifying match against Ajla Tomljanovic at 4-6, 2-3 due to an abdominal muscle injury. Her Wimbledon appearance is not believed to be in serious jeopardy.

Tennis fans can look forward to some exciting clashes on Monday. Wildcard Naomi Osaka—the most successful active player after Swiatek with four Grand Slam titles—will begin her Bad Homburg campaign against qualifier Olga Danilovic on the Spielbank Bad Homburg Centre Court (not before 4:00 p.m.).

This year’s stellar field is further proven by the rematch between Diana Shnaider and Donna Vekic: the two faced off in the thrilling 2024 Bad Homburg Open final and will now meet in the first round on Monday.

Fellow wildcard Laura Siegemund will take on two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka—who made it through qualifying—on Match Court 1, with play scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.