German Open (WTA) explained

German Open
Founded:	1896–2008; 2021–present
Editions:	93
City:	Hamburg (1894–1978) West Berlin (1979–1990) Berlin (1991–2008, 2021–)
Venue:	Am Rothenbaum Rot-Weiss Tennis Club (1979–2008, 2021–)
Tier:	Tier I (1988–2008) WTA 500 (2021–)
Surface:	Clay outdoor (until 2008) Grass outdoor (2021–)
Draw:	28M 24Q 16D
Prize Money:	€802,237 (2024)
Website:	https://www.berlinladiesopen.com
Completed Event:	2024
Singles:	Jessica Pegula
Doubles:	Wang Xinyu Zheng Saisai

The German Open^[1] (previously known as the Grass Court Championships Berlin, bett1open, and since 2024 the Berlin Ladies Open) is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women played in West Berlin, West Germany (until 1990), then Berlin, Germany from 1991 to 2008 following reunification. Held since 1896, it was one of the oldest tournaments for women. Until 1978 the tournament was held in Hamburg together with the men's tournament. From 1988, it was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament. Since 2021, it is a WTA 500 tournament.

After an absence of more than a decade, the tournament was announced to return to the WTA calendar for the 2020 season. However, the event was cancelled in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it would be due to return in 2021. The new event is classified as a Premier-level tournament and serve as a warm-up event towards the Wimbledon Championships, having switched its surface from clay to grass.^{[2] [3]}

History

Past champions of the tournament include former world number ones Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Martina Hingis, Amélie Mauresmo, Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic and Dinara Safina.

Past finals

Singles

Year	width=200	Champions	width=200	Runners-up	Score
↓ Hamburg (Clay) ↓
1896		E. Lantzius	6–3, 6–2, 7–5
1897			6–3, 6–2, 6–2
1898			7–5, 7–5
1899			7–5, 6–4
1900			2–6, 8–6, 7–5
1901		Gladys Dudell	6–0, 6–0
1902	Mary Roß	Hilda Meyer	8–6, 6–0
1903	Violet Pinckney	Hilda Meyer	6–2, 6–1
1904		L. Bergmann	6–3, 6–0
1905		K. Krug	6–0, 6–1
1906	Luise Berton	Margaret Dewsbury	4–6, 6–3, 6–1
1907	Margit von Madarasz	Hedwig Neresheimer	7–5, 0–6, 6–2
1908		Rosamund Salusbury	2–6, 6–4, 6–0
1909	Anita Heimann		6–4, 0–6, 6–4
1910	Mieken Rieck	Dora Köring	6–1, 6–3
1911		Molla Bjurstedt	6–1, 4–6, 6–1
1912	Dora Köring	Anita Heimann	6–2 6–2
1913		Hedwig Neresheimer von Satzger	6–4, 6–4
1914- 1919	Not held
1920	Ilse Friedleben	Lilly Müller Vormann	6–0, 6–0
1921		Daisy Uhl	9–7, 6–1
1922		Nelly Neppach	6–2, 6–1
1923		Nelly Neppach	2–6, 9–7, 7–5
1924		Nelly Neppach	6–2, 1–6, 6–3
1925	Nelly Neppach	Ilse Friedleben	2–6, 6–4, 10–8
1926		Nelly Neppach	5–7, 6–4, 6–2
1927	Cilly Aussem	Ilse Friedleben	6–3, 6–3
1928	Daphne Akhurst	Cilly Aussem	2–6, 6–0, 6–4
1929	Paula von Reznicek	Violet Chamberlain	6–2, 4–6, 6–0
1930		Hilde Krahwinkel	6–4, 6–4
1931		Irmgard Rost	6–1, 6–2
1932	Lolette Payot	Hilde Krahwinkel	6–2, 1–6, 6–4
1933	Hilde Krahwinkel	Sylvie Jung Henrotin	6–2, 6–1
1934		Cilly Aussem	6–2, 6–3
1935		Cilly Aussem	9–7, 6–0
1936	Not held (due to Berlin Olympic Games)
1937		Marie-Louise Horn	4–6, 6–2, 6–2
1938		Margot Lumb	6–1, 6–0
1939		Hella Kovac	6–0, 6–1
1940- 1947	Not held
1948	Ursula Rosenow		6–2, 8–6
1949			6–2, 6–8, 9–7
1950			6–3, 6–0
1951			6–3, 6–3
1952			6–1, 6–3
1953			6–0, 4–6, 6–4
1954			2–6, 7–5, 6–2
1955			6–4, 6–4
1956			7–5, 6–2
1957			7–5, 6–3
1958			6–4, 7–5
1959			walkover
1960			7–5, 8–6
1961			5–7, 7–5, 6–1
1962			4–6, 6–3, 7–5
1963			6–4, 1–6, 6–3
1964			6–1, 6–1
1965			6–3, 6–2
1966			8–6, 6–3
1967			6–4, 6–4
			6–1, 7–5
			6–3, 6–4
	Helga Schultze-Hösl		6–3, 6–3
			6–3, 6–2
			6–3, 3–6 8–6
			6–4, 6–1
			6–4, 5–7, 7–3
			7–6, 5–7, 10–8
			6–3, 6–1
			6–1, 6–4
			6–2, 6–3
↓ West Berlin (Clay) ↓
			7–6^(7–4), 6–0
		Ivanna Madruga-Osses	6–2, 6–1
1980	Not held to make room for Federation Cup which took place at same location.
			6–2, 6–2
			6–4, 7–6^(7–1)
			7–6^(10–8), 6–1
			6–4, 7–5
			6–2, 6–3
			6–2, 6–3
			6–3, 6–2
			6–3, 6–1
			6–4, 6–3
↓ Berlin (Clay) ↓
			6–3, 4–6, 7–6^(8–6)
			4–6, 7–5, 6–2
			7–6^(7–3), 2–6, 6–4
			7–6^(8–6), 6–4
			6–4, 6–1
			4–6, 6–2, 7–5
			6–4, 6–2
			6–4, 6–4
			6–0, 6–1
			6–1, 6–2
			6–4, 2–6, 6–3
			6–2, 1–6, 7–6^(7–5)
			6–4, 4–6, 7–5
			walkover
			6–3, 4–6, 6–3
			4–6, 6–4, 7–5
			3–6, 6–4, 7–6^(7–4)
			3–6, 6–2, 6–2
2009– 2019	Not held
↓ Berlin (Grass) ↓
2020	colspan="3"
			1–6, 6–1, 6–3
			6–3, 2–1, ret.
			6–2, 7–6^(8–6)
			6–7^(0–7), 6–4, 7–6^(7–3)

Doubles

Year	width=200	Champions	width=200	Runners-up	Score
↓ Hamburg (Clay) ↓
		Winnie Shaw Judy Tegart	6–3, 7–5
			6–1, 6–4
			6–0, 6–1
			6–2, 6–1
			6–3, 2–6, 6–0
			6–1, 6–2
			6–3, 6–2
			6–3, 6–2
			4–6, 7–5, 6–1
			2–6, 6–4, 7–5
			6–4, 5–7, 6–0
↓ West Berlin (Clay) ↓
		Evonne Goolagong Kerry Reid	6–2, 7–5
	Rosalyn Fairbank Tanya Harford		6–3, 6–4
1980	Not held to make room for Federation Cup which took place at same location.
			6–3, 6–4
			6–4, 7–6^(7–2)
			6–3, 4–6, 7–6
	Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková		6–4, 6–1
			7–5, 6–2
			6–1, 6–2
			6–2, 4–6, 6–4
			5–7, 6–3, 6–2
			6–2, 6–1
↓ Berlin (Clay) ↓
			6–3, 6–3
			7–6^(7–5), 4–6, 7–5
			6–1, 6–3
			6–3, 7–6^(7–2)
			4–6, 7–6, 6–2
			6–1, 5–7, 7–6^(7–4)
			6–3, 3–6, 6–2
			6–3, 6–0
			6–3, 7–5
			3–6, 6–2, 7–6^(9–7)
			6–4, 6–3
			0–6, 7–6^(7–3), 6–2
			6–3, 4–6, 6–4
			6–2, 2–6, 6–1
			3–6, 6–3, 6–1
	Yan Zi Zheng Jie		6–2, 6–3
	Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur		6–3, 6–4
	Cara Black Liezel Huber		6–2, 6–2
2009- 2019	Not held
↓ Berlin (Grass) ↓
2020	colspan="3"
	Victoria Azarenka Aryna Sabalenka		4–6, 7–5, [10–4]
	Storm Sanders Kateřina Siniaková		6–4, 6–3
	Caroline Garcia Luisa Stefani		4–6, 7–6^(10–8), [10–4]
	Wang Xinyu Zheng Saisai		6–2, 7–5

Tournament names

• 1896–1927:German Championships
• 1928–1948:German International Championships
• 1949–1970:West German Championships
• 1971–1979: German Open
• 1980: No tournament
• 1981–1988: German Open
• 1989–1990: Lufthansa Cup
• 1991–1992: Lufthansa Cup German Open
• 1993–2000: German Open
• 2001–2002: Eurocard German Open
• 2003: MasterCard German Open
• 2004: Ladies German Open
• 2005: Qatar Total German Open
• 2006–2008: Qatar Telecom German Open
• 2021–2023: bett1open
• 2024–present: ecotrans Ladies Open

See also

• German Open Tennis Championships
• WTA Hamburg

Notes and References

1. News: Two-time champion Kvitova warms up for Wimbledon with German Open title . 27 October 2023 . Reuters . homson Reuters Group Limited . 25 June 2023 . en.
2. Web site: Former Wimbledon champion to headline brand-new WTA Premier event in... 26 October 2019.
3. Web site: Cancellation of bett1open 2020. Berlin Open. 1 April 2020. 18 October 2020. 16 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200516170652/https://bett1open.de/en/11864/. dead.