Malõgina and Tamm aim to defend Estonian titles; Lajal and Glinka absent

The 102nd Estonian Tennis Championships commence today at the Tallinn Kalev Tennis Club, with all of last year's medalists participating. The tournament will see defending champions Elena Malõgina and Kristjan Tamm vying to retain their titles.

In the women's singles, Elena Malõgina, a four-time champion (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025), is the clear favorite to win her fifth title. She will compete alongside 14-year-old junior player Elizaveta Anikina, considered a strong medal contender, and last year's finalist Laura Rahnel, who has gained significant match experience while studying and training at the University of Michigan. Notably absent from the women's draw is 2023 Estonian champion Maileen Nuudi.

For the men's singles, Kristjan Tamm, also a four-time Estonian champion (2017, 2022, 2024, 2025), is competing. However, the top seed is Markus Mölder, who recently secured his first ITF title and holds the highest world ranking among the participants. Mark Lajal and Daniil Glinka will not be competing in the tournament. Kristjan Tamm is seeded second, with Oliver Ojakäär, who trained in the US last year, seeded third. While Tamm is a versatile player, Mölder and Ojakäär reportedly prefer hard courts, whereas Tamm has an advantage on clay.

The championships will also feature last year's finalist Sten Hiiesalu, medalists Henry Ink and Denis Maijorov, and top junior players Ken Ink and Edwin Averjanov. Qualification matches begin today, followed by the main draw for doubles on Thursday and singles on Sunday. The finals are scheduled for July 9 and 10. The event will also include traditional Celebrity Tournament and quiz, and a new "One Point Challenge." Given the overlap with Wimbledon, attendees can watch the Grand Slam matches on a large screen at the club. Additionally, the Estonian wheelchair tennis champion will be decided on Sunday.