Two-Time Porsche Champion Swiatek Is Glad To Be Back In Stuttgart

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (photo: Porsche AG)

STUTTGART/WASHINGTON, April 14, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

Poland’s Iga Swiatek is a two-time winner of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She has a proven track record on the indoor red clay of Porsche Arena. However, unlike past years, she returns to Stuttgart in a restart phase of her career. 

When the 24-year-old six-time major champion takes Center Court inside Porsche Arena later this week to face No. 51 Laura Siegemund of Germany in her opening-round match, all eyes will be on the progress and development she has made since parting ways with former coach Wim Fissette, who guided her to last year’s Wimbledon title, to begin  a new chapter of her career with new coach Francisco Roig.

Since a disappointing second-round loss to Magda Linette at the Miami Open last month, which dropped her 2026 win-loss record on Tour to 12-6 and saw her WTA Ranking slip from World No. 3 to World No. 4, Swiatek switched coaches and spent time at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, training alongside the 22-time singles Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal as well as Roig.

During a pre-tournament interview for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Monday, her first clay tournament of the season, Swiatek made clear that she’s not looking for a quick fix but rather sustained development with her new coach.

“The process of changing coaches is for me always kind of tricky because I only did that twice in my life,” said Swiatek, whose last win came against Karolina Muchova in the round of 16 at Indian Wells in early March. “So yeah, not easy decisions. I’m really happy to start with Francisco. I was basically looking for someone with a good eye, really technical, but also a person that is experienced enough to help me through some different kind of situations.

“I feel like Francisco lived through everything, probably on tour. Yeah, for now it’s going really amazing. It’s a start. We’re still getting to know to each other. Yeah, I’m really excited.

“It was honestly a pretty fast process. I was able to find a new coach pretty fast, which is a positive thing because obviously when you do that in the middle of the season, it’s nice to have some security in that, so I could already have some even practice period with Francisco in Mallorca. It was really nice.”

Swiatek said she was inspired by the time she spent at the Rafa Nadal Academy, not only practicing with Nadal but also in getting to know Roig better, too.

“My idea of coming to the academy appeared, like, two months ago,” Swiatek said. “I wanted to change something in my preparation before clay, because obviously last clay season didn’t really go out how I planned. I wanted to go to Mallorca because I knew the facilities there; I knew the court. I knew I was going to do a solid work there without any other distractions.

“Yeah, I asked if it would be possible for him to come and maybe be some kind of inspiration, also hear some feedback from him. It was really a privilege to have him on the court.

“I honestly didn’t have many expectations because I know he’s super busy and he has a lot of stuff to do, even though he always has different projects and everything. It’s a real privilege. I was really honored he was able to be there these couple days.

“Since then, I realized that I’m going to have this new coach situation. I also wanted to meet Francisco. I’m happy that they were there at the same time because it also adds even more value I think to the process.

“But now I will continue with Francisco. He will be the person that takes care of the whole process. That’s the plan for now, and no other plans right now.”

Swiatek said she’s happy to be back in Stuttgart, where she won the first 10 straight Stuttgart matches of her career and back-to-back Porsche Tennis Grand Prix titles in 2022 and 2023. “Always great. I have really great memories from here. So being back always gives me a lot of positive energy,” she said.

“I really like this place. So, I’m happy that, yeah, I can be here again,” said Swiatek, who has only lost in Stuttgart to eventual champions (Elena Rybakina in 2024 and Jelena Ostapenko in 2025). “Yeah, first tournament on clay, so obviously I’m excited. I love this surface. I’m adjusting to these conditions here because the clay, obviously it is a little bit different, it’s synthetic. But I know it already, so day by day we’re just working on getting ready.”

Siegemund guts out first-round victory, Swiatek next

Germany’s Laura Siegemund is nine years removed from winning the 2017 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, in an exciting third-set tie-break triumph over Kristina Mladenovic. However, she remains a crowd favorite in Stuttgart, as evidenced by being given a Center Court assigning on opening night of this year’s WTA 500 event.

The 51st-ranked Siegemund, now 38 and the oldest direct entrant into the Stuttgart draw, won just her fourth match on Tour this season in 10 outings – an error-filled 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory over 156th-ranked lucky loser Victoriya Tomova of Bulgaria – that advanced her into the second round against World No. 4 and third seed Iga Swiatek of Poland.

Tomova jumped out to an error-strewn 4-0 lead and went on to take the opening set 6-4. Then, Siegemund found herself down 4-0 in the second set tiebreaker and just three points from a disappointing straight-set defeat. However, the Filderstadt native recovered nicely and won seven straight points to level the match at a set each following the lengthy, 79-minute set.

In the decider, Siegemund raced to a 5-1 double-break lead. Then, serving for the match, she reached match point and seized the opportunity with a fifth-shot touch volley winner. Siegemund finished with 46 winners to 57 unforced errors, compared to 27 winners and 49 unforced errors by Tomova. The German No. 1 converted five of 13 break-point opportunities and Tomova was successful in break Siegemund four times in 11 tries. Siegemund outpointed Tomova 114-102.

With Siegemund’s comeback victory, it marks the first time since 2022 that she has advanced past the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. It was her 15th career victory at Stuttgart.

“It’s not an easy court [to play on],” Siegemund said during her on-court interview. “It’s a court where you need some matches, some experiences. The balls are pretty fast. You have to get used to the angles and what you can do. I think it’s an advantage to have played matches here. I think it’s good that I got through this match and, hopefully, I can have a better start next time.”

Siegemund was asked about her upcoming second-round challenge against Swiatek. “I love the big matches,” she said. “I mean, what can you ask more to play on this court at home against a great player like that? I have nothing to lose and I hope to put up a bit of a show. I hope I can have something against her that gives her a bit of trouble. If not, I’m cool with that. I’ll just try my best. That’s all you can do against her. She’s one of the greatest players ever.”

Around Porsche Arena

• World No. 21 Liudmila Samsonova of Russia broke a six-match losing streak with her 6-0, 6-4 victory over 58th-ranked Antonia Ruzic of Croatia in an hour and 16 minutes on Center Court Monday night. The victory, Samsonova’s first since a second-round win over Janice Tjen of Indonesia at Abu Dhabi in February, improved her 2026 season win-loss record to 5-9.

Samsonova, who won the first nine games against Ruzic, hit 13 winners and converted five of six break points. She outpointed her opponent 57-33.

“I’m very happy with the way I played. It was a battle,” said Samonova during her on-court interview. Next, she will face World No. 3 and second seed Coco Gauff of the United States.

• Eva Bennemann of Germany and the Porsche Talent Team won the inaugural Porsche One Point Challenge Monday afternoon. Under the motto, “A single rally can decide everything,” pros, celebrity guests and ambitious amateur competed. Bennemann defeated her teammate Julia Stusek of Germany and received first prize of an exclusive trip to Instanbul for two, courtesy of Turkish Airlines Holidays.

“Playing a few points on Center Court was mega cool,” Bennemann said afterward.

Among the participants in the One Point Challenge were 2025 Stuttgart champion Jelena Ostapenko, World No. 6 Elina Svitolina and former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber.

• Meanwhile, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix held its Media Day on Monday inside Porsche Arena. Here’s a sample of what Coco Gauff and Eva Lys said:

No. 2 seed Coco Gauff of the United States: “Yeah, I think the clay is unique here. It’s a little bit slippery, so it’s hard to adjust to. Obviously the indoor component, something we’re not – I’m not – used to seeing until the end of the year.

“It’s different for sure. It’s definitely the least comfortable tournament I feel on court, on the clay, during the clay season. But I think it’s great to start a tournament where it feels a little bit more challenging. It makes the rest of the season feel a little bit easier.”

Eva Lys of Germany: “I love indoors in general. I feel like I had always a couple of good results indoors. So coming back to clay indoors is definitely a very fun week for me.

“The clay court is a little bit different than the outside clay courts, so you definitely need a little bit of adjustment. For me, coming from outside to indoors is quite easy. I think it’s going to be a little bit trickier to go from indoors outside again, but this is a topic for later.

“I always feel very good on this surface. Yeah, happy to be at home.”

Monday’s Stuttgart results

Tuesday’s Stuttgart order of play

By the numbers

Six of Laura Siegemund‘s nine matches on the WTA Tour this season have gone three sets.

“Quotable …”

“When I was 20, I have to be honest, I didn’t really have the game. I maybe had the mentals and the physics, but I didn’t have the game. I also had a different technique. In my late 20s, I found my game and I was able to combine my good physics and my good mentals with my shots – you need the shots. Compared to my late 20s, I think I am a better player now. It’s just that with age, physics becomes quite a challenge. There are more aches and pains. … I’m proud that I have had to evolve my game and still be able to play on this level. I think that’s what I’m most proud of.”

– Laura Siegemund, 38, during her on-court interview Monday evening following her first-round victory, comparing her 20-year-old self to today.

 

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