Snigur is writing the most remarkable story of her career so far at the Livesport Prague Open. It’s already certain that she will move into the world’s top 50, and if she succeeds in the final tomorrow, she’ll become a member of the top 40.
"Honestly, I didn’t expect this. I’m surprised myself at how things are going. When I saw the draw, I knew it would be really tough for me. Because the Czech girls are really very good. Now I’m obviously happy, but also tired," she said after a tough battle with Valentova.
In the semi-final, it was clear that the heat and demanding schedule had taken a toll on both players. The offensive style both usually demonstrate gave way to exhausting long rallies.
"Tereza is a huge fighter; it was hard to finish points with winners. So I played step by step, point by point. But what was important, I never lost faith," Snigur said.
The stands at the Stvanice Centre Court naturally cheered for the home player, but the Ukrainian was pleased to see several yellow and blue flags hanging around the arena.
"It means a lot to us in these times when we see that people around the world care about what’s happening in our country. It’s really a nice support," admitted the first-time finalist of the Prague Open.
Snigur has become the sixth Ukrainian to reach a WTA final in 2026 - after Marta Kostyuk, Elina Svitolina, Yulia Starodubtseva, Veronika Podrez and Anhelina Kalinina. But when asked about her compatriots, she admitted she’s hardly in touch with any of them.
"I honestly can’t say why we’ve started to do so well. We hardly ever see each other. It’s not like we’re friends. Each of us had to leave Ukraine in a different direction. It’s really all individual success," Snigur explained.
She found a base in Poland, where she was taken under the wing of the local Fed Cup team coach Dawid Celt, husband of former Polish superstar Agnieszka Radwanska.
"I live in Warsaw, I’ve found really good conditions there," she explained.
Even though she reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time this year, Sunday’s final against Lilli Tagger at Stvanice will probably be the most important match of her career so far: "I’ve never been in a situation like this; I feel it’s going to be tough for me again. It’ll be my first big final. But we’ll see, I’ll try to enjoy the moment."