STUTTGART/WASHINGTON, April 21, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka knows a thing or two about winning semifinal matches and advancing to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final. On Sunday, after defeating World No. 6 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 7-5, 6-4, she’s through to her fourth title match inside Porsche Arena in Stuttgart in the past five years.
The World No. 1 and three-time major champion from Belarus has had her eye on the grand prize awarded to the WTA 500-series Stuttgart champion all week: a brand-new Porsche Macan Turbo sports car.
“I want it more than ever,” the 26-year-old Sabalenka said during her post-match press conference, following her 25th victory of the season. “You know, like when you’re losing three times in the finals, it’s really become something important – an important final for me – and I’ll make sure I bring my best game.”
Four-time finalist in Stuttgart @SabalenkaA | #PorscheTennis pic.twitter.com/gyw81rPokI
— wta (@WTA) April 20, 2025
On Monday afternoon, Sabalenka will get another chance to win her first Porsche title – and Porsche automobile – when she faces unseeded Jelena Ostapenko in the final.
The World No. 24 from Latvia, who won the 2017 French Open title, eliminated No. 22 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, 6-4, 6-4, in one hour and 29 minutes to advance to her second WTA Tour final this season after Doha on a hard court. There, she lost to Amanda Anisimova of the United States, 6-4, 6-3. It will be Ostapenko’s first final at Stuttgart.
Sabalenka (25-4) advanced to her fifth WTA Tour final of the season. She’s won titles at Adelaide and Miami while finishing runner-up at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix represents the ninth clay-court final of her career. She has won two titles on clay, both at Madrid, in 2021 and 2023.
Against Paolini, 28, Sabalenka needed an hour and 35 minutes to win her semifinal skirmish – and she repeated her Miami Open semifinal win over the diminutive-but-powerful Italian.
“That was a very tough match,” Sabalenka said, in which she won 70 percent of his first-serve points, saved four of the eight break points she faced from her opponent, converted six of eight break-point opportunities and outpointed Paolini 69-64. “She was playing really great tennis. She made me work for every point.
“Yeah, I actually enjoyed playing. It was a real fight, and happy to be in another final here.”
Back again! @SabalenkaA reaches her fourth Stuttgart final!#PTGP25 pic.twitter.com/nDhpfZaWhc
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 20, 2025
When Sabalenka was asked to describe the difference between beating Paolini on a hard court in Miami and Sunday on indoor clay in Stuttgart, the Belarusian replied: “Well, I mean, obviously we were playing on the clay court. Everything was a bit slower. I had to adjust a little bit to the tactic. I had to work extra, extra hard to get every point.
“But I actually enjoyed it. Yeah, I had to be ready to finish the point, and I had to be ready for an extra shot coming back. Yeah, that was the difference.”
Sabalenka has won 14 of her last 15 matches and strung together a nine-match winning streak, which she began in Miami. Now, she’s through to her third straight final after Indian Wells and Miami.
Meanwhile, in the first semifinal, Ostapenko hit five aces, won 68 percent of her first-serve points, struck 22 winners and converted three of six break-point opportunities. She outpointed Alexandrova 64-58 to collect her 11th victory of the season.
“It was not an easy match,” Ostapenko, 27, admitted during her post-match news conference. “She was hitting a lot of strong shots. Yeah, I think I was playing well, and managed to win it in two sets today.”
Jelena #Ostapenko is through to final in Stuttgart!#PTGP25 pic.twitter.com/tEG36ieiHl
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 20, 2025
Ostapenko looked at ease playing in front of a sold-out Porsche Arena crowd of 4,200 fans. “I just like to play on big stages,” she said. “I think the crowd here is really nice. It’s always a full stadium and it’s really nice to see that.”
Looking ahead, Sabalenka said she looks forward to Monday’s 1 p.m. final against Ostapenko inside Porsche Arena. She will take a 3-0 head-to-head advantage into their championship tussle.
“We played a couple of times, and the last meeting was on the clay,” Sabalenka said during her post-match news conference. “First of all, I’m aware of her shots. Yeah, she can play really aggressive. I think I know the way I have to play in that match, and I’m really looking forward. I think it’s going to be very aggressive tennis from both. I’m excited for the final. Yeah, really can’t wait to play.”
Say hello to our first finalist — Jelena #Ostapenko! #PTGP25 | @JelenaOstapenk8 pic.twitter.com/vSg6xhQuzJ
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 20, 2025
As for Ostapenko, she summed up her feelings this way: “Yeah, I’m just going to enjoy [Monday], and it’s really great to be in the final. Yeah, just give it all.”
Dabrowski and Routliffe win doubles title
Top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand won their first WTA Tour doubles title of the season after defeating unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and Zhang Shuai of China, 6-3, 6-3, in an hour and 16 minutes.
Last year’s WTA Finals Riyadh champions – Dabrowski is ranked World No. 5 and Routliffe World No. 3 – converted five of 12 break points and outpointed their opponents 63-45.
starting the week off on a high #PorscheTennis pic.twitter.com/6KbZtj1xk3
— wta (@WTA) April 20, 2025
After a bye into the quarterfinal round, Dabrowski and Routliffe defeated Alexandra Panova of Russia and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-4, 6-2, then rallied to defeat Timea Babos of Hungary and Luisa Stefani, 5-7, 6-3, 10-4 in the semifinals.
Dabrowski improved to 9-6 in all competitions – all with Routliffe – while the New Zealander is 13-6 overall this season. Two weeks ago, Routliffe teamed with Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia to win the Credit One Charleston Open title on green clay.
first team title of 2025
Dabrowski x @erinroutliffe#PorscheTennis pic.twitter.com/vD1Ljdi3e2
— wta (@WTA) April 20, 2025
By the numbers
Jelena Ostapenko is a four-time WTA 500 title winner, most recently at Linz in 2024, when she defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final.
“Quotable …”
“Today maybe 8, 9 also. I think in the right moments, like, when I needed to be more consistent, I was playing well.”
– Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, during her post-match news conference, asked to rate her semifinal performance against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova of a scale of 1 to 10.
