LJUBLJANA/STARNBERG, September 13, 2025

It was a memorable Saturday at the WTA Zavarovalnica Sava Ljubljana as Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan advanced to the singles final after defeating Germany’s Mona Barthel 6-4, 6-2.

Against 35-year-old Barthel, a former World No. 23, Juvan trailed 4-2 in the opening set before winning four consecutive games to claim it 6-4. “I was nervous at the start. She hit a faster ball than my previous opponents, and I began a bit tentatively, just trying to move her around and hoping for errors. But my shots weren’t deep enough, and she’s a quality player who keeps pressing. I kept encouraging myself and believing that, no matter how long the match lasted, I would find my rhythm and take control,” Juvan explained afterwards.

The 23-year-old Slovenian began the second set more decisively and sealed her place in her second WTA 125 final of the season after one hour and 18 minutes. “The start of the second set was a bit easier, but since she had nothing to lose, she began playing very aggressively. I had to stay patient and wait for the match to turn in my favor. Tomorrow will be another tough battle – my opponent is the top seed here, so it will be very interesting,” she added.

In the title match, Juvan will face Switzerland’s Simona Waltert, the No. 1 seed, who beat Slovakia’s Renata Jamrichova in the other semifinal. Juvan previously reached the semifinals of the WTA Tour 250 in Portoroz in 2021; now she has taken another step forward. Between 2005 and 2010, when Slovenia first hosted WTA tournaments, Katarina Srebotnik twice played in the final (Portoroz 2005 and 2007).