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Bratislava Open 2026: Taro Daniel dominates singles, Slovak success in doubles falls just short

The clay-court Bratislava Open 2026 Challenger tournament delivered dramatic finals matches. While a Japanese player celebrated victory in the singles event, the home representative narrowly missed out on a doubles title.

Taro Daniel’s Remarkable Comeback in the Singles Final

The new singles champion is Japanese tennis player Taro Daniel. In the final, he produced an impressive comeback against the tournament’s top seed and 2022 champion, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko. After losing the opening set, Daniel fought back to secure victory in a third-set tiebreak, winning 3–6, 6–0, 7–6(2). For his triumph, he earned more than €23,000 in prize money and 100 ATP ranking points.

Pokorný and Sachko Fall Short in the Doubles Final

Slovak player Lukáš Pokorný, partnering with Ukraine’s Vitaliy Sachko, was unable to turn their finals appearance into a title. In Saturday’s championship match, they lost to the Polish duo of Karol Drzewiecki and Piotr Matuszewski in straight sets, 6–4, 7–5.

For the 24-year-old Pokorný, it was already his fifth Challenger doubles final, but he is still waiting for his first trophy. “The difference was that our opponents were better. We started well and even had a break advantage, but we weren’t able to maintain it,” said Pokorný. Despite the defeat, he viewed the tournament positively.

Bratislava Open 2026 has written another successful chapter in its history. We would like to thank all players, partners, volunteers, and fans for creating a unique atmosphere throughout the tournament week. We are already looking forward to next year’s edition, which will once again bring world-class tennis to the heart of Slovakia.

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