Gannon looks to become first Irish winner since 2018 while Valdmannova is favourite for the women’s crown
By Stephen Higgins | 1st August 2026
After plenty of sunshine and fewer avian intruders than at the Dublin Challenger, the 2026 DLR Irish Open reaches its end with two intriguing singles finals.
First up on Sunday morning will be the W50 showpiece between the number one seed, Vendula Valdmannova, and the week’s giantkiller, Amelia Rajecki.
Given her relative inexperience, 18-year-old Valdmannova (above) has been hugely impressive through the week at Carrickmines. After a straight sets win in the first round, the Czechia prospect has fought past Isis Louise Van den Broek, 2025 runner-up Victoria Allen, and fourth seed Valentina Ryser to make the last day.
While certainly tested, the world no.193 has shown her pedigree when it mattered and her double-handed backhand has been one of the best shots at the venue this week.
While Valdmannova is an unsurprising finalist, world no.508 Rajecki (above) has ripped through seeds on her way to the championship match. After dispatching a qualifier in round one, the Nottingham player toppled the second, seventh and third seeds consecutively to make the final.
Saturday was a particularly fulfilling day on court for the 24-year-old as she defeated former top 40 player Viktoria Hruncakova in singles, before taking the doubles crown alongside partner Ella McDonald.
With no previous meetings on tour, this could be a close one unless Valdmannova plays to her superior ranking. This will be Rajecki’s second final of 2026 after finishing as runner-up at the Nottingham W35 in February. As for the Czech, the 18-year-old already has two ITF titles this season from Roehampton and Lopota.
After that tussle, the Carrickmines crosshairs will will be fixed on Davis Cup regular Conor Gannon (above), as he tries to become the first Irishman since Pete Bothwell in 2018 to lift the DLR Irish Open trophy. 12 months ago, Irish no.1 Michael Agwi came within a whisker of ending that barren run as he finished runner-up to Alastair Gray.
The 24-year-old has had quite a week in singles and doubles. Gannon was on the verge of defeat in the first round against Lorenzo Lorusso before pulling it out 6-7 7-6 6-3. From there, the Dubliner was a convincing winner over fifth seed Dimitris Azoidis, third seed Matt Ponchet, and then against his doubles partner for the week, second seed Daniel De Jonge in the semis.
Gannon and De Jonge also made the last four of the doubles competition before falling to Michael Agwi and Felix Mischker. While currently ranked outside the top 1,000, Gannon has played well above that level this week, excelling on serve and showcasing his all-court credentials.
He will need all of those skills to overcome Estonia’s Markus Molder (above) on Sunday. Just 21 and boasting a hugely effective forehand, Molder has certainly earned his place in the championship match after seeing off 2025 finalist Agwi, and number one seed Robin Catry in the semi-finals.
Like the women’s final, these opponents have never met on tour so predicting the outcome is tricky. For the season, this will be Molder’s second ITF final after winning Hurghada in May. It’s the first ITF singles final for Gannon, who has looked a different player since his breakout win over Bernard Tomic at the Dublin Challenger.
Order of Play | Sunday 2nd August 2026
Centre Court
From 10.30am
Women’s Final | Vendula Valdmannova (1) v Amelia Rajecki
Men’s Final | Markus Molder (7) v Conor Gannon
Remember that you can follow all the 2026 DLR Irish Open action and live streams at the ITF’s W50 and M15 sites
Photos by Sport Narrative, Amy French and Crosscourt View
