Fearless Ostapenko Masters Two-Time Stuttgart Champ Swiatek

Jelena Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko (photo: Porsche AG)

STUTTGART/WASHINGTON, April 20, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

There’s a fearless quality in Jelena Ostapenko‘s ability to raise the level of her game whenever she faces Iga Swiatek. She’s never lost to the former World No. 1 and winner of four French Open titles on clay – and Ostapenko has faced Swiatek six times overall and triumphed in each them.

On Saturday afternoon at the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix inside Stuttgart’s sold-out Porsche Arena, an event which Swiatek has won twice in the past three years, the 27-year-old Ostapenko handled the second-seeded Polish star and current World No. 2 magnificently, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in two hours and seven minutes. The triumph advanced Ostapenko to Sunday’s semifinal round against unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The 24th-ranked Ostapenko of Latvia, who won the 2017 French Open, beat Swiatek on the Polish star’s favorite surface – clay – in their first career meeting on the red-dirt surface. She did it by hitting 29 winners to offset her 34 unforced errors and converted six of 11 break points, including in the final game of the quarterfinal match. By comparison, Swiatek hit just 17 winners and made 36 unforced errors.

“It was a good match,” Ostapenko said during her post-match news conference. “Maybe, the second set didn’t go my way, but I’m really glad and proud of myself how I was fighting in the third set.”

Although Swiatek broke Ostapenko’s serve four times in seven attempts, she was unable to break Ostapenko’s spirit. In the end, Ostapenko outpointed Swiatek 86-76.

“Well, for sure, I’m happy with the [second] set,” said Swiatek, describing the positives in a defeat. “Disappointed that I couldn’t hold my level in the first games of the third set, because I think for sure it was important. But, you know, I kept fighting. … I’ll take the defeat as motivation to continue working on my game.”

On a scale of one to 10, how would Ostapenko rate her victory performance? “I think I was playing to maybe eight or nine today, pretty well,” she said. “I mean, I could probably win in two sets because second set I started to rush a little bit,  it in general, I think I was playing well.

“Of course she’s a great player, obviously. To play against her is a tough battle. Every time I’m expecting a tough battle. But I think in deciding moments I kind of knew that I will have the chances to win this match.

“I think [Iga] hates playing me, and I love it.”

• Meanwhile, Ostapenko’s semifinal opponent, Alexandrova, marched into the semifinal round with a superb 6-0, 6-4 victory over World No. 3 Jessica Pegula. In a rematch of their Charleston semifinal from two weeks ago, this time, it produced a different outcome. Although each came into the quarterfinal having previously won a WTA 500 title this year – Alexandrova indoors at Linz and Pegula on green clay at Charleston – the 22nd-ranked Russian wasted little time showing her dominance over 31-year-old American.

Alexandrova pressured Pegula from the outset – striking the ball effectively from both wings – and broke her opponent’s serve three times in winning the opening set 6-0. She went on to convert four of five of 18 break points, hit 27 winners and outpointed Pegula 73 to 51. Alexandrova won the match on her sixth match-point opportunity after Pegula netted a fifth-shot backhand.

“When the score was 5-2 (love-40), I think I lost a little bit of my concentration and the finishing touch,” Alexandrova said during her on-court interview. “Soon, it was 5-4, but I’m glad I was able to finish.”

After advancing to the quarterfinal round with a 6-1, 6-1 win over No. 28 Magdalena Frech of Poland on Thursday, Pegula was asked about facing Alexandrova. She admitted: “The last few times I have played her, every time I have played her, has been just an absolute war, battle.”

Saturday’s fifth career meeting – and third this season – which broke a 2-2 tie, was no different. However, it was a breakthrough for Alexandrova, who scored her first win over Pegula on clay and improved her 2025 win-loss record to 15-8. The quarterfinal loss was Pegula’s first on clay this season after winning seven straight matches going back to the beginning of her Credit One Charleston Open run earlier this month. Against the 30-year-old Alexandrova, Pegula was able to muster just seven winners. The American No. 1 committed 23 unforced errors and converted just one of five break points.

After winning the first set in 6-0 bagel fashion, Alexandrova said she tried not to think about it as the second set unfolded. “I knew [the second set] would be more difficult than the first set. Most of the time I was trying to not think about the score, just about the game, about what I needed to do. I’m glad I was able to finish well today.”

Later, after teaming with China’s Zhang Shuai to win her doubles semifinal and advance to Sunday’s final, she reflected on her victory over Pegula. “I’m really happy with the result today and the way I was playing. I always prepare myself for a really difficult match, because it’s always difficult to play against her – and the last matches that we played, it was always three sets,” Alexandrova said.

“I’m really happy that I could finish in two sets – finally – because , at the end, it was a little bit shaky situation. But everything was good at the end.”

After securing her third victory this week against a Top-20 foe – after defeating No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova, No. 7 Mirra Andreeva and Pegula – Alexandrova will meet another tough opponent in the 24th-ranked Ostapenko.

“I know Jelena,” Alexandrova said. “She plays well. When she hits inside the court, it’s difficult to do something about it. But fore sure, it’s going to be difficult. I will try to do my best and hope for the best and we’ll see.”

Sabalenka flawless in defeating former doubles partner Mertens

Three-time finalist Aryna Sabalenka, who played her first match of the tournament in the quarterfinal round following a first-round bye and a second-round walkover, looked as sharp as ever in defeating her former doubles partner, Elise Mertens, 6-4, 6-1, in an hour and 20 minutes, to advance to Sunday’s semifinals against World No. 6 and fifth seed Jasmine Paolini in a rematch of their Miami Open semifinal from last month.

While it remains to be seen if the three-time Stuttgart finalist from Belarus will finally win the Porsche Grand Prix event and leave with a brand-new Porsche Macan Turbo – or be disappointed again – Sabalenka showed everyone inside Porsche Arena why patience has been a virtue for her while waiting to strike her first ball of the tournament. It was also her first match on clay this year and the victory over Mertens improved her career head-to-head against the Belgian to 9-2.

“Yeah, I’m super happy with the win,” Sabalenka, 26, said during her post-match news conference. “Finally, I played my match. Never happened before that I play the first match [of a tournament] on Saturday, so it feels awkward.

“I’m happy with the level I played. Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court.

“I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable. Also, I played here so many times, so I know the court and I feel really good on this surface.”

At times, during this match-up of former two-time major doubles champions (2019 US Open, 2021 Australian Open), Sabalenka was unstoppable. She broke Mertens three times in the Belgian’s first four service games and, later, won her last two service games without dropping a point.

By the end, Sabalenka struck 31 winners – including five aces – and made only 14 unforced errors. She converted four of eight break points, caused Mertens to commit 24 forced errors and converted four of eight break points. She outpointed her opponent 64-42.

“I think it was about just playing the first match on clay,” Sabalenka admitted, “getting used to the game, not over-rushing things.

“Physically and mentally, I’m quite strong, so I think I’m pretty much ready to handle another great battle [Sunday].”

• Finally, Paolini secured her first Top-10 victory of the season with her 6-4, 6-3 victory over Gauff, completed in an hour and 28 minutes. She looked at home against the former US Open champion, showing patience, strutting points well and playing solid clay-court tennis. Paolini put away the victory on her second match-point opportunity, after Gauff sailed a fourth-shot forehand that landed well beyond the baseline. It was her first career win over the 21-year-old American.

Paolini struck 20 winners, made only 12 unforced errors, converted five of 10 break points and outpointed Gauff 69-58. Meanwhile, Gauff hit 19 winners but made 27 unforced errors. Her three breaks of Paolini’s serve weren’t enough to win. Gauff has lost two of the three WTA Tour quarterfinals she’s appeared in this season, while Paolini has won two of her three quarterfinals this year.

Asked during her on-court interview if the triumph felt as good for her on the inside as it seemed for the crowd on the outside that filled Centre Court at Porsche Arena to cheer for her. Without missing a beat, the 29-year-old Italian beamed a big smile and laughed: “Yeah, it was good! Obviously, I enjoyed being on court today.”

In the past year, which has included reaching the finals of both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon,” Paolini said what has changed beyond her ranking said: “I don’t know, I think I’m the same person but, maybe, I’m a little more confident, believing more in myself. I step on court and think to myself ‘I can do it.’ Before, it was like, ‘Oh, I’m playing a big-name player. It was tough to believe that I could beat them. Now, I’m really happy about how I’m playing.

“My goal is always to fight for every match, to have a chance to win,” she said.

Around the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

Top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand advanced to Sunday’s doubles final after coming from behind to win their semifinal match against Hungary’s Timea Babos of Hungary and Luisa Stefani of Brazil, 5-7, 6-3, 10-4.

The Canadian/Kiwi duo combined to hit four aces and converted two of eight break points against Babos and Stefani. They outpointed their opponents 70-63 during the one-hour, 41-minute semifinal on Court 1.

In the championship match, Dabrowski and Routliffe will play Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and Zhang Shuai of China, who defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia, 6-4, 4-6, 13-11, in one hour and 38 minutes. The winners combined to serve five aces and converted three of five break-point chances. They outpointed their opponents 70-69.

Saturday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix results

Sunday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix order of play

By the numbers

With her win over World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, Ekaterina Alexandrova holds a 5-2 win-loss record against Top 10 players in 2025. Her upset of Pegula was her 19th career Top-10 triumph.

“Quotable …”

“Probably not, especially on the clay. I’m kind of surprised. It’s such a strong tournament and every single match is against a great player. I’m really surprised I’ve finished each match in two sets.”

– Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, who has won all three of her matches this week in straight sets, asked if she’s surprised by her play this week in Stuttgart.

 

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