Nottingham Open WTA final Round-up | Marie Bouzkova sinks Emma Navarro for maiden grass triumph

Marie Bouzkova has broken new ground at the Nottingham Open. She takes down Emma Navarro 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-2 to win the title.

Both players were eyeing up a fourth WTA title, and a first on grass. It would be a very competitive final between the pair who each tried to get the edge over the other. In the end, it was Bouzkova who got over the line, striking in the third set to win a second title in 2026 following her triumph in Colombia.

It also had big implications in the WTA rankings. With Navarro in 23rd and Bouzkova 24th ahead of the final, there was positions to be gained. That could be said for Bouzkova who has now reached a new career high of 22nd in the world as she closes in on debuting in the top 20 following a successful week in Nottingham.

The first set could have gone either way, but Bouzkova was the one to take her chance in a tiebreak. Navarro forced a decider after levelling up after a dominant spell halfway through the set. An early break was the undoing of the American as Bouzkova struck late again to seal another WTA title.

The first set went the distance, but that could have been completely different for Bouzkova. Twice she broke the serve and twice Navarro stormed right back and got the match back level. A break point would then be missed to make it 6-5 in favour of the Czech as Navarro earned herself a tiebreak at worst.

Unfortunately for the American, things did not go to plan. She spurned two consecutive set points as Bouzkova forced the tiebreak before being a lot more clinical when an opportunity came her way, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win it 7-5.

However, Navarro responded. From 2-1 down, the Strasbourg champion won 12 of the next 13 points, eight consecutive on serve, to storm into a 4-2 lead in some manner. It was then Bouzkova’s turn to be wasteful. She had two chances to break back as Navarro was trying to serve it out. Both were squandered as Navarro forced a highly anticipated third and final set.

It was advantage Bouzkova from the off. She held before breaking the Navarro serve to go 2-0 clear. Another hold of serve backed up that all-important break before Navarro got on the board.

Three holds of serve later, and Bouzkova was one game away from a fourth WTA title, and a first on grass. She did not wait to see it out on serve, taking her first championship point to be crowned the queen in Nottingham.