STUTTGART/WASHINGTON, April 12, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
The 49th annual Porsche Tennis Grand Prix begins Monday in Stuttgart, Germany – and it brings together many of the world’s top women’s players from the WTA Tour. Six of the current Top 10 – and 11 Top-20 players in all – will compete on the red clay inside Porsche Arena as the European clay season continues its spring journey culminating in the French Open next month.
With 2024 champion and current World No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan’s elevated to the top seed of the WTA 500-series event following the withdrawal of World No.1 and four-time finalist Aryna Sabalenka, she will be looking to win her second Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title in three years.
The draw is out – which match are you most looking forward to? 📝#PTGP26 pic.twitter.com/zWscmevieP
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 11, 2026
The main draw ceremony took place Saturday afternoon on Court 2 inside Porsche Arena. Rybakina sits at the top of the 28-player draw and will open against either Diana Shnaider of Russia or wild card Tamara Korpatsch of Germany. following a first-round bye.
No. 2 seed Coco Gauff of the United States anchors the bottom of the draw field and begins her quest for the top prize – and a Porsche sports car – against either Antonia Ruzic of Croatia or Liudmila Samsonova of Russia.
Two-time champion (2022, 2023) Iga Swiatek of Poland, who beat Sabalenka for both of her title victories in Porsche Arena, is in the upper half of the draw with Rybakina and opens against either Laura Siegemund of Germany or Magdalena Frech of Poland.
The good vibes are back in Stuttgart! 😁#PTGP26 pic.twitter.com/b0MIrgfvEe
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 11, 2026
Fourth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine is positioned in the lower half of the draw and will open against either Spanish wild card Paula Badosa or Porsche Friend Eva Lys of Germany. The Hamburg-born German, currently ranked No. 75 and the former World No. 2 from Spain are good friends and practiced together inside Porsche Arena on Saturday.
Look who’s here 👀 @paulabadosa — straight to the court with @evalys_ 🎾✅#PTGP26 pic.twitter.com/z5Z0O9fbAZ
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 11, 2026
Among the interesting first-round matches, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines will face off against Leylah Fernandez of Canada in a battle of lefties. Also, 2025 Stuttgart champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia opens against World No. 10 Mirra Andreeva of Russia.
Sabalenka withdraws from Stuttgart
On Thursday, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, a four-time finalist at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, withdrew with an undisclosed injury, which she said she sustained after winning her second straight Miami Open title last month.
“I’m very sad to say that I won’t be able to play the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this year,” Sabalenka wrote in an Instagram story on Thursday. “I always love coming back to Stuttgart. The atmosphere, the fans, and the support I feel there are so special to me. And of course, I was really hoping to have another chance to fight for that Porsche.
“Unfortunately, I suffered an injury after Miami, and even though I tried everything to recover in time, I’m not ready to compete. I’m really sorry to miss this amazing tournament. Wishing everyone a great week in Stuttgart, and I hope to see you all again very soon.”
With Sabalenka’s withdrawal, it meant that World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, who won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title in 2024, would be the tournament’s top-seeded player and that Magdalena Frech was elevated into the main draw.
.@MFrech97 joins the main draw. As @SabalenkaA unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury, Magdalena will take her place. We wish our four-time finalist a speedy and full recovery and warmly welcome Magdalena to the main draw. pic.twitter.com/Ma0RHc9Ljc
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 9, 2026
Around the Porsche Arena
Qualifying draw play began Saturday with eight matches spread across two courts. The final four places in the 28-player will be decided on Sunday.
Among the Saturday highlights, No. 7 seed Anna-Lena Friedsam won an all-German match over Jule Niemeier, 7-5, 6-1, in one hour and 24 minutes. The 200th-ranked Friedsam won 78 percent (27 of 36) of her first-serve points, converted five of nine break points and outpointed No. 322 Niemeier 68-50.
Anna-Lena #Friedsam wins the all-German match in straight sets.#PTGP26 pic.twitter.com/1IFXiDU4VM
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 11, 2026
Three other Germans – No. 335 Eva Bennemann, 18, and 539th-ranked wild card Julie Stusek, 17, from the Porsche Talent Team and 945th-ranked wild card Victoria Pohle, 18, from the local TEC Waldau Stuttgart club – were eliminated in the first round of qualifying.
Friedsam will face No. 1 seed Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey for a berth in the main draw on Sunday.
Zeynep Sonmez comes through and moves on.#PTGP26 pic.twitter.com/Mn1VrKTBnI
— Porsche Tennis (@PorscheTennis) April 11, 2026
Sunday’s Stuttgart order of play
By the numbers
At least five Germans are among the 28-player main draw field. They include: No. 51 Laura Siegemund, No. 75 Eva Lys, No. 85 Ella Seidel, No. 109 Tamara Korpatsch and No. 192 Noma Noha Akugue. Seidel, Korpatsch and Noha Akugue are wild card entrants.
“Quotable …”
“When I came here, I felt like something is going to happen this week. I pretty much felt that I can win this tournament.”
– Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix champion, during her champion’s news conference last year after winning the title over Aryna Sabalenka.
