As the clay courts of Strasbourg prepare to host the 2025 Internationaux de Strasbourg, the final WTA 500 event before Roland Garros, the draw has unveiled a thrilling lineup of tennis titans. World No. 4 Jessica Pegula, a wildcard entry, headlines a field brimming with Grand Slam champions and rising stars, setting the stage for a week of fierce competition from May 18 to May 24. Among the most anticipated first-round clashes is a showdown between Britain’s Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, and No. 6 seed Daria Kasatkina, a matchup that promises drama on the red dirt.
Pegula, the top seed, enters Strasbourg with a commanding presence, boasting 28 WTA main-draw wins in 2025, second only to Aryna Sabalenka’s 34. Despite a 0-2 record at this tournament, with first-round exits in 2019 and 2021, the American is poised to make a statement. After a first-round bye, she’ll face either Anna Kalinskaya or a qualifier, a challenging opener given Kalinskaya’s knack for upsetting higher-ranked players. Pegula’s quarter is stacked, with a potential quarterfinal against Kasatkina looming. “I’m excited to be back in Strasbourg,” Pegula said, reflecting her determination to conquer the clay courts that have eluded her in past visits.
Raducanu, ranked No. 49 and also a wildcard, faces a formidable test in Kasatkina, against whom she holds a 0-3 record. Their previous encounters, including a straight-sets loss in Ostrava 2022 and a retirement in Seoul 2024, highlight Kasatkina’s dominance. Now representing Australia and ranked No. 15, Kasatkina thrives on clay, her crafty baseline game a nightmare for opponents. Raducanu, fresh off a last-16 run at the Rome Open where she fell to Coco Gauff, remains optimistic. “I want to get back out there,” she said, emphasizing her hunger to build on her clay-court progress. A victory could pit her against the winner of an all-American clash between 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and 2024 Strasbourg finalist Danielle Collins, who lost to Madison Keys last year.
The draw’s top half is a gauntlet, with No. 3 seed Paula Badosa making her Strasbourg debut. The World No. 10, another top-10 star, will meet either French wildcard Alizé Cornet, back from a year-long retirement, or a qualifier. Badosa’s potential second-round opponent could be No. 8 seed Liudmila Samsonova, who faces Linda Noskova in a spicy first-rounder. “It’s a fresh start for me here,” Badosa noted, eager to showcase her aggressive style on clay.
In the bottom half, No. 2 seed Emma Navarro, a 2023 Strasbourg quarterfinalist, awaits the winner of Magdalena Frech and Beatriz Haddad Maia, the highest-ranked unseeded player at No. 22. No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, anchors her quarter and will face Wang Xinyu or a qualifier after her bye. Rybakina, a 2020 Strasbourg finalist, is on a collision course with No. 7 seed Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 champion returning from injury for her first 2025 match. Krejcikova, who parlayed her Strasbourg title into a Roland Garros triumph, faces Magda Linette in the first round. “I’m thrilled to be back where it all started,” Krejcikova said, her eyes set on recapturing her clay-court magic.
The absence of defending champion Madison Keys and withdrawals from Elina Svitolina, Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Olga Danilovic have opened opportunities for others, with a lucky loser replacing Svitolina. The 28-player draw, featuring six top-20 players and four Grand Slam winners, underscores Strasbourg’s status as a critical French Open warm-up. With 500 ranking points for the winner and a star-studded field, the tournament promises high stakes and electrifying tennis, as players like Pegula, Raducanu, and Rybakina fine-tune their games for Paris.
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