Following last year’s record attendance of 82,000, the 2026 Erste Bank Open set another new benchmark. Together, the Wiener Stadthalle and the Marx Halle welcomed more than 90,000 tennis fans for the first time. The Marx Halle alone attracted around 1,000 more visitors per day than in 2025. At the same time, the Stadthalle sold out on Monday for the first time in tournament history – and remained sold out on all seven days of the main draw. “That has never happened before. There is hardly any room left for improvement – unless we manage to squeeze in a few more seats somewhere,” Tournament Director Herwig Straka said with a smile.
The tournament week also delivered numerous sporting highlights. Carlos Alcaraz thrilled the crowd on his return to Vienna after five years and reached the final against Alex de Minaur. Alexander Zverev secured the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career at the Wiener Stadthalle. “In more than 50 years of ATP history, only 30 players have reached world No. 1. For something like that to happen here in Vienna is truly special,” Straka emphasised. He was also particularly proud of the atmosphere: “Daniil Medvedev lost to Carlos Alcaraz yesterday, walked off the court and received thunderous applause. That says everything about Vienna and the Stadthalle.”
The Marx Halle concept proved a complete success
The Marx Halle concept once again proved a resounding success. Singles, doubles, public practice sessions, the Wheelchair Tennis Tournament presented by win2day and numerous activities for families provided a varied programme. The wheelchair tennis final was staged in front of a large crowd on Centre Court at the Wiener Stadthalle on Saturday. Lucas Miedler and Neil Oberleitner also reached the doubles final and claimed the title to rapturous applause from a Wiener Stadthalle that was already filled to capacity at lunchtime. “What we wanted to achieve with the Ground Ticket and the second venue worked perfectly,” Straka said, once again reflecting on the Marx Halle.
Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller delighted with another record result
Erste Bank CEO Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller was equally delighted: “Once again, we can look back on a record result. Herwig Straka and his team created a fantastic experience with a sensational field that left nothing to be desired. There were so many ‘believe in yourself’ moments for us this week. I only have one small concern: What will they come up with next year?” The enormous interest in the tournament was also evident among Erste Bank’s customers: “As soon as the final is over, the first requests for next year start coming in – and that is the best possible sign.”
Peter Hacker, Vienna City Councillor for Social Affairs, Health and Sports, highlighted not only the tournament’s sporting quality, but also the successful integration of the wheelchair tennis event. “An incredible sporting year is ending with an extraordinary highlight. The fact that the new world No. 1 did not reach the final says everything about the quality of this tournament. I am particularly pleased that wheelchair tennis was featured so prominently. Creating this connection between different forms of the sport is also very important to me from a social-policy perspective,” Hacker explained.
For Thomas Waldner, it was his first Erste Bank Open as Managing Director of the Wiener Stadthalle. “The Erste Bank Open and the Eurovision Song Contest have shown this year that the Wiener Stadthalle, our ‘Good Old Lady’, can still compete at the very highest level. A partnership such as the one with e|motion, built on trust and mutual appreciation, cannot be taken for granted. A project like this requires cooperation on equal terms and a shared ambition to offer visitors the very best tennis.”
Straka believes the Erste Bank Open are ideally positioned for the years ahead. Representatives of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Miami and Madrid even visited Vienna to see the concept for themselves and praised the tournament’s exceptional quality. “We have been asked in previous years how we could possibly top what we had achieved. Every year, we have managed to raise the bar again. That is why I am looking ahead to next year with confidence. Somehow, we will find a way to top it once more,” Straka concluded.
