The record-breaking attendance was largely due to the new second venue at the Marx Halle, as Herwig Straka explained using Sinner’s first appearance on Wednesday as an example. “We have very little room to grow in the Stadthalle. Wednesday was the busiest day in the tournament’s history — we didn’t have a single ticket left. Not even standing room, which has never happened before. Thanks to the Marx Halle, we surpassed the 80,000 visitor mark for the first time this year,” said Straka, who remains committed to driving the tournament’s growth.
“This year, we added a wheelchair tennis event, which was also very well received. But we want to expand the tournament even further so that no one in Vienna or Austria can overlook it. That’s why we’re also considering adding a women’s event, so that the Erste Bank Open can serve as a launching pad for Austrian tennis,” Straka emphasized. Looking ahead, he already has ideas for the 2026 lineup: “This year, we had five Top-10 players here — with Jack Draper it would have been six. We probably can’t top that, but having five players from the Top 10 is fantastic, and we’d love to maintain that level in the future. I’ll be speaking with Jannik (Sinner) next week in Paris about 2026. He really enjoys playing here — and if he enters a 500-level tournament, Vienna will certainly be high on his list.”
Erste Bank CEO Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller also expressed her delight with this year’s event: “I can only repeat the praise from previous years and thank Herwig and his team. We had a fantastic field of players, the Marx Halle worked perfectly as a second, more accessible location, and the wheelchair tennis event added a new and important perspective — we’ve raised the bar once again. We’re thrilled that so many people followed the tournament. As a sponsor, we can draw an entirely positive conclusion.”
A similarly glowing review came from Peter Hacker, Vienna’s City Councillor for Social Affairs, Health, and Sports: “Herwig, your team does a fantastic job. Every year, something new is added. Para-sport is very close to my heart, and after many great events in the city, it’s wonderful to see wheelchair tennis added to the list. The Marx Halle worked beautifully. I’m especially pleased that the connection between para-sport and world-class tennis has come together here in Vienna. People truly enjoyed the tournament again — and that’s exactly our goal.”
