Barbora Krejcikova claimed her first title of the 2026 season after defeating hometown favourite Maria Sakkari 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in the final of the WTA hard-court tournament in Athens on Sunday.

The Czech star, a two-time Grand Slam champion, produced a resilient display to spoil the home crowd’s celebrations, overcoming a sluggish start to secure her ninth WTA singles title and her first trophy since winning Wimbledon two years ago.

Krejcikova found herself trailing 4-1 in the opening set but staged an impressive comeback to force a tie-break, which she edged 7-5 to seize the early advantage after nearly 90 minutes of intense tennis.

Sakkari looked poised to force a decider after breaking early in the second set, but the world No. 32 responded in emphatic fashion, reeling off a series of games to complete the straight-sets victory in just under one hour and 45 minutes.

The defeat extended Sakkari’s wait for a first WTA title in almost three years and denied the former world No. 3 a dream triumph on home soil.

The Athens native had hoped to emulate her mother by lifting the trophy at the tournament, which returned to the Greek capital this year after a 35-year absence, but was unable to halt Krejcikova’s remarkable fightback.

For Krejcikova, the victory marks a timely return to winning ways and provides a major confidence boost as the WTA season enters its decisive phase.