NEWS
Kraus Crowns Home Tournament with Title in Kitzbühel
The Viennese wins the Austrian dream final against Julia Grabher convincingly in straight sets and celebrates the second Challenger title of her career.
Sinja Kraus is the winner of the WTA125 Challenger tournament in Kitzbühel.
The 24-year-old from Vienna prevailed in the all-Austrian final against Julia Grabher with a 6:3, 6:1 score, thus securing the second Challenger title of her career after her triumph in Cali at the end of 2025.
At the same time, Kraus makes history: For the first time since Petra Huber in 1986, an Austrian woman has won an international women's tournament in Kitzbühel.
Kraus Turns First Set Around After Poor Start
The match began after a rain delay of about half an hour. Grabher initially got off to the better start, immediately breaking Kraus's serve and pulling ahead to 2:0.
But Kraus quickly found an answer. The tournament's second seed managed a rebreak to level at 2:2, before gradually taking more control as the match progressed and pulling away to 5:2 after another break.
Even another rain delay, lasting over an hour and a half, didn't throw the player from Vienna off her rhythm. Although she had to fend off three break points while serving for the first set, she converted her set point shortly after to take it 6:3.
Kraus Hits Her Stride
After a brief treatment on Grabher's hitting hand, the match definitively swung in favor of the Viennese player. Kraus immediately broke her compatriot's serve at the start of the second set and pulled away to 5:0 with two more breaks.
With each game won, the 24-year-old appeared more confident, dominating the rallies from the baseline and giving Grabher no further chances. Although Grabher managed a consolation break in the closing stages of the second set, Kraus converted her second match point directly in the next game, definitively sealing the deal.
"I'm super happy. Two Austrian women in the final, an incredible atmosphere today, I can't believe it," Kraus summed up her performance in an ORF interview after the final.
For Kraus, this is the biggest success of her career to date. After her second Challenger title, the current world number 87 will also further improve her world ranking.
