PREVIEW Final Stuttgart Open 2025: Can Aryna Sabalenka finally win elusive Porsche or will Jelena Ostapenko rise to the occasion?
WTA
In what is a pretty unknown occurrence, play continues onto Easter Monday with the final of the Stuttgart Open and the race for a Porsche finally concluding with Aryna Sabalenka and Jelena Ostapenko battling it out.
Our preview looks ahead to the top tie between two of the tour's top characters who certainly show their emotion on court and in interviews so either way we are in for an entertaining affair.
It would be a third title of the season for Sabalenka if she manages to seal it and would be a 20th career title. She has won in Brisbane and Miami so far this season. For Ostapenko, it would be number nine and a first of the year.
Route to the Final - Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka has barely had a route to the final this week and has only played two games. The World No.1 was due to play Anastasia Potapova in the second round but the Russian withdrew from injury.
This meant Sabalenka was straight through to the Quarter-Finals where she faced off with Elise Mertens and eased through with a 6-4, 6-1 win. Sabalenka had her own controversy with the infamous checkmark incident where she took a picture with her phone.
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She certainly wasn't a fan of the umpire that night making it widely known despite winning basically every game after that incident in the match against Mertens. It was much more of a tougher test against Paolini. The Italian pushed her in particular in the first set which was won 7-5 and even led during the second but Sabalenka managed to surge and seal the win.
Aryna Sabalenka has been superb in her two ties so far.
After not playing since Miami, she could technically make it back-to-back titles in terms of tournaments she has played in and being in the mood often to avenge losses in finals, it could be one of her best avengings.
In the past she has come so close to winning Stuttgart to the point that she tried as a joke to smash in the windows of Swiatek's new Porsche two years ago as she lost again. But she has been a different player everytime since and despite barely playing this week you can only be given the cards you are dealt and she has took them.
Route to the Final - Jelena Ostapenko
While Jelena Ostapenko showed that her main win this tournament wasn't her end point even against one of the form players this week in Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Ostapenko famously beat iga Swiatek yet again earlier in the tournament making it 6-0 in their Head-to-Head but could collect her first clay court crown since winning Roland Garros.
She has been a winner on every other surface but clay since that point. Ekaterina Alexandrova was defeated last round who she now holds a 6-5 Head-to-Head against and she shut her down 6-4, 6-4.
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She has reached one other final this year losing to Amanda Anisimova in Doha. But her other wins this week also cannot be underestimated as she has seen off Liudmila Samsonova and Emma Navarro to begin her campaign before then seeing off Swiatek.
But that Swiatek tie just as it will in the fourth round of the Madrid Open if it happens again dominated the draw with everyone wondering if she could break the curse and she couldn't.
Ostapenko though has never beaten Sabalenka. They have met three times between their respective careers and their last clay court meeting could in fact hold the key as to how their latest one will go.
Sabalenka eased through 6-2, 6-4 at last year's Italian Open in Rome back in May 2024 and prior to that there were only two other meetings. In Dubai in 2023 where Sabalenka won in three after losing the opening set and also Zhengzhou in 2019 which was an easy 6-1, 6-2 win.
So it has very much been dominance thus far and on paper Sabalenka will be expected to win. But with the Porsche dangling with Ostapenko find a way to spoil the party and hand Sabalenka another crushing defeat.
Sabalenka mused that the car has tiger colours but will it be going home with her for the rest of her stint in Europe and beyond or will it be yet more disappointment. 1:00pm local time holds the key in Stuttgart.
Match Info:
Aryna Sabalenka - Jelena Ostapenko
Start time (local): Mon, 21 Apr, 1:00 PM
Start time (your time): Mon, 21 Apr, 7:00 PM
Court: Centre Court
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Round: Final
Head-to-Head
| Sabalenka | Ostapenko | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 3 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 3 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 1 | 24 |
| Race Ranking | 1 | 19 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 1 | 19 (+5) |
| Live Race Ranking | 1 | 16 (+3) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 26 (5 May 1998) | 27 (8 Jun 1997) |
| Birthplace | Minsk, Belarus | Riga |
| Residence | Miami, Florida, US | Riga, Latvia |
| Height | 5'11" (182cm) | 5'9" (177cm) |
| Weight | 176lbs (80kg) | 150lbs (68kg) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro | 2015 | 2012 |
| Coach | Anton Dubrov | Stas Khmarsky, Jeļena Jakovļeva |
| YTD W/L | 23-4 (85%) | 10-8 (56%) |
| YTD Titles | 2 | - |
| Career Titles | 19 | 8 |
| Prize Money | US $33,287,633 - 9th in all-time rankings | US$16,922,128 - 33rd in all-time rankings |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
A Sabalenka d J Ostapenko WTA Rome - Quarterfinal6-2 | 6-4 15 May 2024 |
||
|
A Sabalenka d J Ostapenko WTA Dubai - Round of 162-6 | 6-1 | 6-1 22 Feb 2023 |
||
|
A Sabalenka d J Ostapenko WTA Zhengzhou - Round of 166-1 | 6-2 13 Sep 2019 |
||
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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