The allure of a Porsche? 14 out of top 20 sign up for Stuttgart Open in stacked WTA schedule update
WTA
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix or as it is commonly known the Stuttgart Open is due to take place between April 13-19, 2026 with many big names in tow for the tournament which kind of stands on its own alongside Rouen as the only event that week on the WTA Calendar.
But why do many of the top names in the WTA Rankings play it? Ran by Porsche as the name suggests, it has attracted for starters many brand ambassadors in the past who play automatically almost such as Angelique Kerber, Iga Swiatek, Emma Raducanu and also most recently as the newest addition to the team, Eva Lys.
A tournament which in the past has won award after award for being one of the best ran tournaments on the WTA circuit, it is one that also has a unique indoor atmosphere which albeit tends to prefer certain players such as Ekaterina Alexandrova, Jelena Ostapenko among others is a unique part of the calendar.
After this week in particular, the action heads to Madrid which of course starts a run of outdoor humid clay court tournaments and so ahead of that being in Europe anyway, it is very much something that attracts the big stars.
The tournament itself of course for many of the WTA stars that enjoy the finer things in life is also a good one as including the big prize money pool, they also drive away with a 911 Carrera S Cabriolet for winning this year's tournament which sits adorned on the court waiting for the winner to pick it up.
Elena Rybakina famously won the title in 2024 and she quipped that she couldn't actually drive. Albeit she soon learned to drive as a result of winning the title and now at least as of last year drives said Porsche when she is off the court so it is a tournament worth winning.
Who is playing in Stuttgart?
But who is playing it this year? 14 out of the top 20 and seven out of the top 10 will play Stuttgart. While Charleston is well attended as a WTA 500, this pales in comparison to Stuttgart which is often and is again like a WTA 1000 in terms of attendance of top names.
Even getting players who even snub Middle East tournaments earlier in the season at the higher level but will play more during this portion of the year. Aryna Sabalenka returns to the event and has been in multiple finals, infamously not winning one yet going back to the days even when Ashleigh Barty was on the tour and winning this title.
Iga Swiatek returns again to Stuttgart.
Elena Rybakina won the title in 2024 and returns in 2026. She played Billie Jean King Cup instead last year. While Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva all play. Only really a few players such as Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova are missing.
Also add Alexandrova as alluded to who no doubt amid the malaise of big names will stand out again on the indoor hard courts. Other star names include Karolina Muchova, Anna Kalinskaya, Jelena Ostapenko, Leylah Fernandez, Zheng Qinwen and also a trio of Germans as wildcards in the aforementioned Lys.
The now World No.77 who has signed lucrative sponsorships during her rise with Lacoste and La Roche-Posay and Westwing will return to Stuttgart albeit after injuries blighting her recently at her best point thus far in her career. As well as rising German Ella Seidel and Laura Siegemund who will all play.
So not only is it the allure of the car but it is a tournament that perhaps others can learn from in regards to how it is ran in a time when scheduling is a big debate and the big names are picking and choosing more as to what they are doing and when they are doing it, they all seem to be descending on Stuttgart.
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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