Aryna Sabalenka, the world`s top-ranked player, has ended her wait and achieved victory at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
After advancing to the quarterfinals without playing a match, Sabalenka defeated her former doubles partner, Elise Mertens, with a score of 6-4, 6-1 in their quarterfinal match on Saturday night in Stuttgart.
Patience Pays Off: Following a first-round bye, Sabalenka`s second-round match was cancelled due to Anastasia Potapova`s withdrawal due to injury. Consequently, the quarterfinal on Saturday evening was her first game of the week.
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Mertens, ranked No. 29 in the world, challenged Sabalenka in the first set. The Belgian player gained a break to lead 4-3 and was close to leading 5-4 while serving for the set.
However, Sabalenka managed to win that game and take a 5-4 lead. From that point on, the top seed became dominant, starting with a service break to win the first set.
In total, Sabalenka broke Mertens` serve in three of the Belgian`s last four service games, while the World No. 1 also performed exceptionally on her own serve.
Sabalenka won her last two service games to love, securing victory over a player with whom she has made Grand Slam history. Sabalenka and Mertens have won doubles titles at the 2019 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open together.
Coming Up: Sabalenka`s semifinal opponent will be determined by Saturday night`s quarterfinal match between No. 4 seed Coco Gauff and No. 5 seed Jasmine Paolini. Sabalenka`s record is 4-2 against Paolini and 4-5 against Gauff.
Sabalenka is aiming to reach her fourth Stuttgart final in the last five years. She was the runner-up in 2021, 2022, and 2023 but has yet to win the title.
More updates to follow…
