The final European WTA Tour tournament of 2025 has arrived, and 32 players will look for a WTA 250 title just before hitting the hard courts in North America. There are no byes in this event, so all the top seeds–such as No. 2 seed Rebecaa Sramkova–will have to hit the ground running early on in the week. LWOT previews and predicts Monday’s opening matches.
WTA Prague Day 1 Predictions
Viktoriya Tomova vs Lucrezia Stefanini
Head-to-head: First meeting
Stefanini has been comfortable at lower tournament levels throughout 2025, while Tomova’s ranking has dropped considerably over the past 12 months. Tomova did reach the quarterfinals of this tournament last year, and she’s generally done well to defeat the players she’s needed to in opening rounds or lower tournaments. Stefanini hits both a double-handed forehand and backhand, which could throw Tomova off her rhythm if she can get off to a fast start. But the Italian hasn’t been able to string together results at WTA Tour-level, and Tomova should feel comfortable as a defensive and consistent baseliner.
Prediction: Tomova in 3
Viktorija Golubic vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-head: Cocciaretto 1-0
Both players notably play at their best on grass courts, but Golubic is the sharper hard-court player with a longer career of experience. However, Cocciaretto won a 125K event in Bastad earlier in July, and she’s had a slightly better season as she’ll look to return to her best form that shined in 2023. The Italian won the pair’s only meeting in 2023, and has an offense-minded game that should break down Golubic’s slice and variety.
Prediction: Cocciaretto in 2
Jesika Maleckova vs Rebecca Sramkova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Maleckova, the 30-year-old from the Czech Republic, will benefit from the home crowd in this encounter, but Sramkova is having a breakout year that has pushed her ranking to near the Top 30. Sramkova relies on both a strong baseline and net game, and she’ll likely dictate most of the rallies. Maleckova has lost all her three WTA Tour level matches, but this is her first Tour-level match at home–something that will give her nothing to lose on Monday.
Prediction: Sramkova in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
