As the clay courts of Stuttgart prepare to host a thrilling climax at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is bracing for a fierce battle against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in Monday’s final. The Belarusian powerhouse, chasing her first Stuttgart title after three consecutive final losses, has struck a balance between admiration and defiance, praising Ostapenko’s red-hot form while issuing a playful warning about her own ambitions. “She’s playing great tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after her semifinal win, her eyes fixed on the $105,000 Porsche Macan Turbo parked courtside. “But I’m going to fight for this beautiful car behind me.”
Sabalenka’s journey to her fourth Stuttgart final has been a testament to her relentless drive. The 26-year-old, fresh off titles in Brisbane and Miami earlier this year, powered through Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 semifinal victory. “She makes me work for every point,” Sabalenka said of Paolini, acknowledging the Italian’s tenacity. Despite a challenging match, Sabalenka’s aggressive baseline game and pinpoint serving—honed by an 80% first-serve rate in recent tournaments—carried her through. Her 3-0 head-to-head record against Ostapenko, including a dominant 6-2, 6-4 win in last year’s Rome quarterfinals, gives her a psychological edge, but she’s not underestimating her opponent. “Doesn’t matter what happened in the past,” she told former player Andrea Petkovic in an on-court interview. “I’m going to go out there tomorrow and fight like it’s the first match.”
Ostapenko, ranked No. 24, has been a revelation in Stuttgart, storming into her second final of 2025 with a straight-sets 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Ekaterina Alexandrova. The 27-year-old Latvian, a former French Open champion, has rediscovered her explosive form, most notably with a stunning quarterfinal upset over world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, extending her perfect 6-0 record against the Pole. “I tried to be aggressive today and take time away from her,” Ostapenko said of her Swiatek victory, a strategy that could pose problems for Sabalenka’s rhythm-based game. Her fearless shot-making and recent dominance—she’s won three straight matches against Alexandrova—make her a formidable threat, despite her 8-9 career record in WTA finals and no clay titles since 2017.
The stakes are sky-high for both players. For Sabalenka, a win would mark her 20th career WTA title, her third of the season, and a 175-point boost to her 3,375-point lead over Swiatek in the rankings. More personally, it’s a chance to finally claim the Stuttgart crown that has eluded her, having fallen to Ashleigh Barty in 2021 and Swiatek in 2022 and 2023. “I played the world number one in those finals,” Sabalenka reflected, a smile