RBG Reichel Business Group GmbH
Maximilianstrasse 30
4600 Wels
Austria
Event hotline: +43 664 990 256 92
e-mail: office@rbgroup.at
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The Linz women's tennis classic celebrated its premiere 35 years ago and today the „Upper Austria Ladies Linz“ is the second oldest WTA indoor tournament in the world. However, its origins lie in the Tenniscenter Wels Rosenau, where tennis pioneer Peter-Michael Reichel organised the International Women's Indoor Championships for the first time in 1987 - with all the top local stars of the time.
The decisive developmental step followed in 1991: the move to the Linz sports hall and the categorisation as an official WTA tournament finally put Linz on the international tennis map. The feedback from the players, fans and organisers was overwhelming right from the start.
The best female tennis players in the world have always come together on the Gugl in Linz and in the Design Center in the city centre (from 2000 to 2002 and since 2023): a total of 19 players who have been ranked number one in the world at one time or another have done the honours in Linz. Maria Sharapova, the Williams sisters Venus and Serena, Martina Navratilova, Lindsay Davenport, Ana Ivanovic, Angelique Kerber and Aryna Sabalenka - they all wrote their chapter in the „35 years of Upper Austria Ladies Linz“ success story. Sandra Reichel has been involved in this story for 26 years as tournament director, keeping an eye not only on the stars on the court, but also on the activities off it.
The women's tennis classic in Linz is THE biggest Austrian women's sporting event of all and has international appeal far beyond the borders of the state and country - both in top-level and popular sport.
Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere (Switzerland) set an exclamation mark at the tournament premiere in Linz - with tournament victories in singles and doubles. Two years later, she won the singles title again.
Sandra Reichel, who later became the tournament director, took up the racket herself at the Linz tennis classic from 1991 to 1995.
Judith Wiesner-Floimair is the most successful local heroine at the tournament in Linz (three semi-final appearances in total: 1993, 1996, 1997).
1994 won Sabine Appelmans the WTA tournament in Linz and thus asserted herself as a top international player. Her success marked an important moment in the early history of the tournament and emphasised the growing importance of Linz in women's tennis.
Jana Novotna triumphed on the Danube in 1995 and 1998. She died far too early in 2017 at the age of 49 from the consequences of cancer.
Alongside Judith Wiesner-Floimair and Babsi Schett, Beate Reinstadler also reached the semi-finals in Linz in the 90s.
US-American Chanda Rubin won her first WTA title in Linz in a complete surprise. Today, she is a sought-after tennis expert on US television.
She was an absolute crowd favourite: Anna Kournikova was a guest in Upper Austria in 1998, but was defeated by the eventual winner Jana Novotna.
Mary Pierce celebrated her Linz premiere in 1992 at the age of 18, and seven years later she was crowned a celebrated tournament winner. Her career came to a tragic end in Linz in 2006 when she tore a cruciate ligament and subsequently ended her professional career.
In 2000, Venus Williams brought international glamour to Linz with her participation in the final. In the summer, the „Queen of the Courts“ won her first of five Wimbledon titles. In the Design Centre, she was only defeated by her compatriot Lindsay Davenport.
Former world number one Lindsay Davenport won the tournament twice (2000 and 2001) with eight successive victories.
Former number one Martina Navratilova played doubles at the WTA tournament alongside Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
Due to the renovation of today's TipsArena, the best female tennis players in the world played at the Linz Design Centre between 2000 and 2002.
2003 triumphed Ai Sugiyama at the WTA tournament in Linz and won the final 7:5, 6:4 against Nadia Petrovathrough. As the tournament's number two, she confirmed her strong season and won her fifth singles title as well as the doubles title - a rare double success that impressively underlined her versatility.
In 2004, the most successful tennis player of all time, Serena Williams, did the honours in Linz, but lost to qualifier Alina Jidkova in the opening match.
Babsi Schett characterised the tournament during and after her active career like hardly any other player. She reached the semi-finals at her first appearance in Linz in 1994. Her emotional farewell followed in 2004 after reaching the semi-finals in the doubles.
She won her first WTA title Nadia Petrova in Linz. You prevailed in the final against Patty Schnyder in three sets. With this success, she crowned her strong season and finally established herself among the world's best.
Maria Sharapova is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She also added her name to the list of winners of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz with her title in 2006.
Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova won the third of a total of eight professional titles in her successful career in the final against Patty Schnyder in Upper Austria.
Ana Ivanovic is the most successful player in the history of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz (titles: 2008 and 2010). She visited the tournament again in 2024: a reunion with a very special ambassador of tennis.
2009 celebrated Yanina Wickmayer at the WTA tournament in Linz one of her greatest career successes and defeated in the final Petra Kvitová.
„I'm very happy,“ said Wickmayer after her victory. „It was a tough week for Petra and me. First and foremost, I want to thank my father for his support and hope that I'll be back here next year.“
With this victory, Yanina Wickmayer moves up into the top 20 of the world's best female tennis players.
She was one of the first mums on the WTA Tour: Sybille Bammer served a total of nine times in Linz.
Around three months after her triumph on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon, Petra Kvitova was able to celebrate her 13th title of her successful career in Linz after beating Dominik Cibulkova in the final.
Victoria Azarenka fulfilled all expectations when she arrived as the world number one in 2012. In front of 4,000 spectators, she confidently won the final against Germany's Julia Görges - her 14th WTA title and the performance of a truly world-class player!
In 2013, Angelique Kerber was the only German player in Linz tournament history to triumph in the final against Ana Ivanovic. She later won three Grand Slam titles (Australian Open and US Open 2016, Wimbledon 2018) - Linz was part of her success story.
In 2014, the Czech won one of the most exciting finals in tournament history against the Italian Camila Giorgi in a third-set tie-break. As a result, she not only reached the finals of the Australian Open (2016) and Wimbledon (2021), but was also number one in the world rankings for eight weeks.
A quarter of a century of tennis history in Linz is celebrated in 2015 - with a lavish players' party, a visit from Judy Murray and Toni Innauer and the somewhat surprising tournament victory by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Dominika Cibulkova won the WTA tournament in Linz in 2016, beating Viktorija Golubic in two sets in the final. Thanks to her tournament victory in Linz, the Slovakian secured her place in the WTA Finals for the first time.
2017 secured Barbora Strycova at the WTA tournament in Linz the title and defeated in the final Magdalena Rybarikova Six years after her first triumph in Quebec City, she crowned her patience and routine and celebrated her second WTA singles title.
A win in a hurry: Italian Camila Giorgi defeated qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova 6:3, 6:1 in just 59 minutes.
She had already reached the final of the WTA tournament in Linz in 2014, but narrowly lost in three sets to Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic).
A real tennis fairytale! Coco Gauff made it into the main draw of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz as a „lucky loser“ and then won her first WTA title at the age of just 15.
Success for Austria! Babsi Haas reached the doubles final with her doubles partner Xenia Knoll (Switzerland).
On the way to number 1: Aryna Sabalenka won in Upper Austria in 2020.
Emma Raducanu, an 18-year-old and recent US Open winner, played in Linz.
Anastasia Potapova became a marathon woman when she won the tournament in 2023. Until her smooth victory over Petra Martic in the final, she always had to go the full distance of three sets. She has since become an Austrian citizen
Start of a new era: The upgrade to a WTA 500 tournament!
In seven tournament appearances to date, she has reached the semi-finals twice (2019, 2020) and the final three times (2018, 2024, 2025). After four unsuccessful attempts, she finally crowned her Linz record with the greatest possible success last year: in a dramatic final, she beat Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine 6:2, 3:6, 7:5 after more than two hours to secure her first Linz title.
Sandra Reichel has been Tournament Director of the traditional tournament for 25 years and Tournament Ambassador Barbara Schett celebrated her 20th anniversary as Tournament Ambassador in 2025. A strong team!
„Congratulations on your anniversary. Thank you for everything you have done for women's tennis and the WTA. All the best for the next 35 years!“
Billie Jean King, 2026
Maximilianstrasse 30
4600 Wels
Austria
Event hotline: +43 664 990 256 92
e-mail: office@rbgroup.at
Contact
Impress
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Maximilianstrasse 30
4600 Wels
Austria
Event hotline: +43 664/99491882
(09:00 - 18:00)
e-mail: office@rbgroup.at
Contact
Impress
Privacy policy