A new chapter for Dubrovnik sport
Dubrovnik has just closed the first edition of its WTA 125 Dubrovnik Open, held from 23 to 29 March 2026 on the courts of Tenis klub Dubrovnik in Lapad. The WTA’s official tournament page lists it as a completed WTA 125 clay event in Dubrovnik, with a $115,000 total commitment, while local tourism materials presented it as the city’s first professional tennis tournament at this level.
That alone made the week significant. But once the final weekend arrived, the tournament also delivered the kind of ending that gives a new event real credibility: a long final, strong interest despite difficult weather, and the feeling that Dubrovnik had successfully hosted something it may now want to keep. Local reporting after the final described it openly as a beautiful story that will continue.
Andrea Lázaro García won the first Dubrovnik title
The singles title went to Andrea Lázaro García of Spain, who beat Anhelina Kalinina in the final after a match that lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes. According to local match reporting, Kalinina took the opening set 6–3, before Lázaro García came back to win the next two sets 6–4, 6–3 and lift the trophy. The WTA’s tournament overview also lists Lázaro García as the 2026 champion, with Kalinina as the finalist.
The victory was especially notable for Lázaro García personally. After the final, she described it as her first WTA title, while local coverage noted that the win would lift her to a career-best ranking position. That gave the tournament a satisfying sporting outcome: not just a winner, but a player leaving Dubrovnik with a genuine milestone in her career.
The doubles title went to Dețiuc and Šalková
The doubles competition was won by Anastasia Dețiuc and Dominika Šalková, who defeated Jesika Malečková and Miriam Škoch 7–5, 6–4 in the final. Dulist reported the result on finals weekend, and the WTA doubles draw confirms the pairing as the 2026 doubles champions.
Two Dubrovnik players were also in the draw
Dubrovnik was also represented by Ana Konjuh and Lucija Ćirić Bagarić, who both appeared in the tournament. Neither went on to achieve a more notable result, but their presence still linked the event to the city’s own tennis story. Local coverage reported Ana Konjuh’s first-round exit, while Lucija Ćirić Bagarić was also part of the home representation during the week.
More than just a tournament week
What also gave the Dubrovnik Open a distinct character was the way organisers tried to make it feel like more than a series of matches. Dulist’s finals-day coverage described a broader Sunday programme that included a wheelchair tennis exhibition, a Kids Day, a warm-up event before the final, and additional exhibition content involving local athletes.
The tournament also carried a humanitarian dimension. Before the event began, Dulist reported that ticket revenue would be donated to the Wheelchair Tennis Club Dubrovnik to support training and programme development, giving the week a stronger community purpose beyond the competition itself.
Why this mattered for Dubrovnik
This tournament was important not only because of who won, but because of what it represented for the city. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board described it as the first professional tennis tournament of this level in Dubrovnik, while pre-tournament reporting framed it as a significant boost to the city’s pre-season sports and tourism profile. The WTA calendar also placed Dubrovnik in a visible international slot at the start of the European clay-court spring.
In practical terms, that means Dubrovnik has shown it can host a tournament that feels internationally relevant while still retaining a strong local atmosphere. The final, the doubles story, the Croatian participation, and the off-court programme all helped make the first edition feel less like a one-off experiment and more like the beginning of something the city may build on. That is an inference, but it is strongly supported by the official framing of the tournament and by local reporting after the event.
A week that ended well for the city
In the end, the strongest impression from Dubrovnik Open 2026 may be a simple one: a first edition that produced a worthy champion, a strong final, a visible doubles story, Croatian participation and the sense that Dubrovnik had added something new to its spring calendar. For a city so often seen through heritage and scenery, that matters.
Because for one week, Dubrovnik was not only a backdrop. It was a tournament city.
