Sara Bejlek appears to have found some confidence at the right time as she begins her Prague campaign against Anna Blinkova.
Bejlek Chases A Confidence-Boosting Win
- Anna Blinkova holds a 4–10 record in tour-level first-round matches in 2026.
- She has lost 10 of her last 12 matches against Top 50 players.
- Sara Bejlek has failed to win a match in seven of her last 11 events.
- She owns a 5–1 record against players outside the Top 100.
HTH - Tied at 1-1
| Year | Tournament | Round | Surface | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brisbane | First Round | Hard | Anna Blinkova | 6-1, 7-6(5) |
| 2024 | Madrid | First Round | Clay | Sara Bejlek | 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
Blinkova Searches for Winning Momentum
Anna Blinkova entered Athens looking to overcome her struggles on the tour, but suffered an opening-round defeat to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. She will now look to put that loss behind her and produce a better result this week.
She has played 17 tour-level events this year, with 13 of them ending either in the opening round or in qualifying. Her remaining four appearances all ended in the second round, highlighting her struggles to make deep runs.
This will be her second appearance in Prague. She made her debut in 2022 but lost in the opening round to Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Russia |
| Age | 27 (Born 10 September 1998) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| World Ranking | 105 |
| Career High | 35 (31 July 2023) |
| Elo Ranking | 117 (Rating: 1688) |
| Tour-Level Titles | 3 |
Bejlek Hopes to Shine at Home
Sara Bejlek enjoyed a confidence-boosting week in Athens, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Clara Tauson in straight sets. It was her first back-to-back wins since February.
The Czech reached a career-high ranking of No. 34 earlier this year after winning her maiden WTA title in Abu Dhabi. However, fitness issues have hampered her progress since then. She has played 11 events following that title, with seven ending without a main-draw win.
This will be her third appearance in Prague. She suffered an opening-round exit in 2024 before reaching the quarterfinals in 2025.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Age | 20 (Born 31 January 2006) |
| Plays | Left-handed |
| World Ranking | 40 |
| Career High | 34 (6 April 2026) |
| Elo Ranking | 74 (Rating: 1768) |
| Tour-Level Titles | 1 |