Jelena Ostapenko enjoyed a fantastic week at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, culminating in a victory over the top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka. She defeated Sabalenka 6-4, 6-1 in the final, securing her ninth career Hologic WTA Tour title. This win is particularly significant as it marks her first title on clay since her Roland Garros victory in 2017.
Key Moments from Ostapenko`s Victory
This Stuttgart final was a pivotal match for both players. Sabalenka was seeking her first Porsche after three previous final losses at this tournament, while Ostapenko aimed for her first ever win against Sabalenka in their fourth encounter. In a thrilling and powerful match, Ostapenko emerged victorious, earning herself a second Porsche to complement the Cayenne Turbo she already owns.
Key Stats from Ostapenko`s Triumph
Currently ranked No. 24, Ostapenko ended Miami champion Sabalenka`s eight-match winning streak. Her record against World No. 1s now improves to 3-1, with previous victories over Garbiñe Muguruza at Wuhan 2017 and Iga Swiatek at the 2023 US Open.
Notably, Ostapenko also defeated Swiatek in the quarterfinals this week, maintaining a perfect 6-0 record against her. This achievement makes her only the ninth player to defeat both Sabalenka and Swiatek in the same tournament, and the first to do so on clay since Swiatek became No. 1 in 2021.
Ostapenko`s record for 2025 is now 12-9. Impressively, she is 4-0 against Top 10 players this year, including three wins in this week alone, and 8-9 against players ranked outside the Top 10.
Her overall record in finals is now balanced at nine wins and nine losses, while Sabalenka`s is 19 wins and 16 losses. Ostapenko stands out as the only active player to have reached finals on all court types: outdoor hard, indoor hard, carpet, grass, green clay, outdoor red clay, and now indoor red clay. Among active players, she is one of only three, alongside Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova, with titles on outdoor hard, indoor hard, grass, outdoor clay and indoor clay (excluding carpet).
How Ostapenko Secured the Win
In their previous matches, Ostapenko had only won one set against Sabalenka, often losing sets decisively. Sabalenka`s powerful serve and consistent accuracy had been key factors. However, this time, Ostapenko reversed the trend.
Ostapenko dominated on her first serve, winning 81% of points, and effectively challenged Sabalenka`s serve, limiting her to 53% first-serve points won. This pressure allowed Ostapenko to create 11 break point opportunities, converting six, while only facing three break points herself (Sabalenka converted two).
Ostapenko demonstrated excellent match management, starting aggressively to break early for a 2-0 lead. Despite Sabalenka leveling at 4-4, Ostapenko regained control, breaking back to take the first set after a tightly contested 57 minutes.
From 4-4 in the first set, Ostapenko won eight of the final nine games. In the second set, Sabalenka scored only 10 points, and Ostapenko closed out the match in 1 hour and 25 minutes with consecutive return winners.
Ostapenko`s Post-Victory Thoughts
Ostapenko shared with the press that she had a strong feeling of victory from the moment she arrived in Stuttgart.
“Honestly, I didn`t tell anyone, but I felt very confident from the first day,” she said. “I had a strange, but good feeling. I felt like something good was going to happen this week. I pretty much felt that I could win this tournament because I think I`m improving day by day and playing better and better. And yes, I think I deserve it.”
This feeling culminated in a remarkable performance against an opponent she had never defeated before.
“Obviously, I played her a few times, and I analyzed those matches. I knew what I had to do differently today,” Ostapenko explained. “I think I was more confident and played with more conviction today than in our previous matches.”
