By Jelena Ostapenko pulled off a stunning victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka to claim the Stuttgart Open title, ending her losing streak against the Belarusian with a dominant 6-4, 6-1 win.
Ostapenko, 27, made a strong statement from the start, breaking Sabalenka’s serve in the opening game and never looking back. The Latvian kept control throughout, exposing Sabalenka’s unusually error-prone play.
The second set followed a similar pattern as Ostapenko broke serve three times in total, racing to a commanding finish by winning five consecutive games to seal the match in emphatic fashion.
“I’m really happy today,” Ostapenko said in her post-match interview. Turning to Sabalenka, she added, “It is great to share the court with you, you are such a great champion.”
This win marks Ostapenko’s ninth WTA title and her first clay court trophy since lifting the French Open in 2017. On her way to the final, she also defeated world number two Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, making it a memorable week.
Sabalenka, 26, was competing in her fourth Stuttgart Open final but has now finished as runner-up in all of them. “Congratulations Jelena on a great week. You were a better player than me today and that’s it,” she said. “It’s not for me every year [here] but maybe next year.
