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Tennis action returns to the Czech capital for the 13th edition of the Prague Open, scheduled to be held at the TK Sparta Praha Stadium from July 25-31. Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova returns to the tournament as the second seed and one of the title favorites.
Joining her will be World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit — who took a wildcard into the event — and former champion Petra Kvitova. The WTA 250 tournament, which has a rich history of crowning home heroes, will also feature the likes of Karolina Muchova and 17-year-old Lucie Havlickova.
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What is the Prague Open?
Having debuted on the ITF circuit as a $50,000 claycourt event, the Prague Open officialy joined the WTA Tour in 2015 as an International-level tournament. The tournament was played on clay until 2020, but made the shift to hardcourt last year.
In addition to defending champion Krejcikova, former home winners include Karolina Pliskova, Lucie Safarova and Kvitova. Simona Halep also lifted the trophy in 2020.
Venue
The Prague Open 2022 will be held on the outdoor hardcourts of the TK Sparta Praha Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic.
Players
World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit is the top seed at this year's tournament. Having struggled for form through most of the European clay and grass swings, the Estonian finally managed to turn her season around in Hamburg, where she reached the final.
Kontaveit will be expecting a tough test against an army of Czechs led by former champions Barbora Krejcikova and Petra Kvitova.
Krejcikova, who lifted the crown last year, will anchor the bottom half as the second seed. The 2021 French Open champion has only managed intermittent play this season owing to injuries and will be hopeful of a winning return to her home event.
Kvitova, meanwhile, will also be looking to play herself into form heading into the US hardcourt swing. The 2018 winner continues to struggle with a wrist injury, but did show definite signs of improvement over the gass season.
Others looking to make an impact on the big stage include Elise Merterns, Sorana Cirstea and home hopes Karolina Muchova as well as the teenage duo of Linda Noskova and Lucie Havlickova — the 2022 French Open junior champion.
Schedule
The qualifying matches for the Prague Open 2022 are scheduled for July 23-24. Main-draw matches will commence on Monday, July 25, at 11 am local time. The summit clash of the tournament is scheduled for Sunday, July 31.
Prize Money
The total financial commitment for this year's edition is $251,750, while the prize money on offer is $239,477. The winner will take home a cheque of $33,200 and 280 ranking points.
Where to watch
Viewers in the US, UK, and Canada can catch all the action from the Prague Open live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on Tennis Channel.
UK: All matches will be telecast on Amazon Prime Video.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on TSN.
