The clay courts of Stuttgart, where sleek Porsches gleam beside the baseline, are set to host the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix from April 12 to 20, but one star will be conspicuously absent: Elena Rybakina. The World No. 10 and defending champion, who captivated fans with her commanding 2024 title run, has opted out of this year’s WTA 500 event, choosing instead to represent Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers in Brisbane, Australia. Her decision, announced just days before the tournament’s start, has sparked a whirlwind of discussion, with Rybakina herself taking a sharp jab at the grueling tennis schedule that forced her hand. “I can’t play all the tournaments,” she said, her frustration palpable as she weighed personal ambition against national pride.
Rybakina’s absence is a blow to Stuttgart, where she clinched the crown last April by defeating Marta Kostyuk in a display of relentless power and precision. That victory, which saw her topple World No. 1 Iga Swiatek en route to the final, earned her not only the trophy but a shiny Porsche Taycan—a prize that left her beaming. “I’m really happy with all the matches I played here, especially in the final,” she reflected after her triumph, praising the tournament’s unique vibe. The Porsche Arena, with its intimate setting and car-lined backdrop, suited her game perfectly, making her choice to skip the 2025 edition all the more surprising. “Of course Stuttgart is nice,” she admitted, but her heart pulled her toward team competition, a rare chance to play for her country. “It’s nice to play for your country, so I’m happy to make this decision,” she added, doubling down on her commitment.
The root of Rybakina’s frustration lies in the tennis calendar’s unrelenting demands. The Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, held just days before Stuttgart’s opening round, required her to travel from Australia’s hard courts to Europe’s clay—a logistical nightmare. “I know that the schedule overall is very packed,” she said, critiquing the sport’s structure that leaves players little room to breathe. Her decision mirrors a growing trend among pros grappling with burnout and injury risks. Emma Raducanu, for instance, also withdrew from the Cup to prioritize her health, underscoring the sacrifices demanded by the tour’s pace. For Rybakina, the choice was clear but costly: skipping Stuttgart means forfeiting 500 ranking points, likely dropping her from the top 10 to No. 13 by April’s end.
Rybakina’s journey to this crossroads reflects her complex 2025 season. The 25-year-old Kazakh, a 2022 Wimbledon champion, started the year with promise, reaching the Australian Open fourth round and defending her Abu Dhabi title until a semifinal loss to Belinda Bencic. But setbacks followed—an upset by Ashlyn Krueger in Miami and a fourth-round exit to Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells dented her momentum. Off the court, controversy swirled around her former coach Stefano Vukov, banned by the WTA for a year after a code-of-conduct investigation. Rybakina, who briefly reunited with Vukov before parting ways again, expressed disappointment, insisting he “never mistreated” her. “It’s very disappointing the way it’s been handled,” she said in Dubai, navigating the fallout while staying focused on her game.
Choosing the Billie Jean King Cup over Stuttgart wasn’t just about logistics—it was a nod to Rybakina’s roots. Last year, she skipped the qualifiers against Japan, a decision she later regretted. This time, she helped Kazakhstan secure a spot in September’s Finals week, a moment of pride for a player who rarely wears her emotions on her sleeve. “I always like to play team competitions,” she said, relishing the camaraderie absent from the tour’s solitary grind. Her commitment, though, comes at a price: the long flight back to Europe leaves no time to compete in Germany before the Madrid Open, her next scheduled stop.
Stuttgart’s loss is the clay season’s gain, as Rybakina gears up for Madrid and Rome, with eyes on Roland Garros. Her powerful baseline game, honed on clay last year, makes her a contender, but consistency remains her challenge. “The schedule is not easy to even schedule Billie Jean King Cup,” she noted, a parting shot at a system that tests even the toughest competitors. As top names like Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka vie for Stuttgart’s crown, Rybakina’s absence looms large—a reminder that even champions must make impossible choices in a sport that never slows down.[](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2040813/Elena-Rybakina-WTA-Stuttgart-BJK-Cup)[](https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-elena-rybakina-makes-frustrations-clear-wta-schedule-forced-skip-stuttgart-open)