Ostapenko defeats Sabalenka for first time to claim Stuttgart title

Jelena Ostapenko completed a dream week at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix by taking down No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-1 in the final to claim her ninth career Hologic WTA Tour title -- and first on clay since winning Roland Garros in 2017.

Stuttgart: Draws | Scores | Order of play

The fourth time would be the charm either way in the Stuttgart final: either Sabalenka would drive off with her much-coveted first Porsche after three previous losses in the title match, or Ostapenko would post her first win over Sabalenka at the fourth attempt. In the event, it was the Latvian who came out on top of a pulsating, hard-hitting battle -- and she will add a second Porsche to the Cayenne Turbo she already drives at home.

What are the key stats from Ostapenko's victory?

No. 24-ranked Ostapenko, who ended Miami champion Sabalenka's eight-match winning streak, improved to 3-1 overall against reigning World No. 1s. She previously defeated Garbiñe Muguruza at Wuhan 2017 and Iga Swiatek at the 2023 US Open.

Having also ousted Swiatek in the quarterfinals this week (improving to 6-0 against the Pole), Ostapenko became the ninth player to defeat both Sabalenka and Swiatek in the same tournament, sixth since Swiatek first rose to No. 1 in 2021 and first to do so on clay.

Ostapenko's 2025 record now stands at 12-9 overall. She is 4-0 against Top 10 players this year (including two wins this week), and 8-9 against players ranked outside the Top 10.

Ostapenko's overall record in finals is now an even nine wins to nine losses, while Sabalenka has 19 wins to 16 losses. The 27-year-old is the only active player to have reached finals on outdoor hard court, indoor hard court, carpet, grass, green clay, outdoor red clay and now indoor red clay. (Among retired players, this feat has also been accomplished by Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin and Dinara Safina.) Excluding the now-defunct carpet surface, Ostapenko is one of just three active players with titles on outdoor hard court, indoor hard court, grass, outdoor clay and indoor clay, joining Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova.

How did Ostapenko defeat Sabalenka?

Ostapenko had garnered just one set in three previous encounters with Sabalenka, and the sets she lost were rarely close: Sabalenka had posted three 6-1 scores against her, and two 6-2 sets. In those matches, Sabalenka's superior serve and more reliable accuracy proved decisive.

This time, the tables were turned. Ostapenko dominated behind her first serve, winning 81% of those points, while also having a greater read on Sabalenka's first delivery than in the past: the three-time major champion won just 53% of her first-serve points. Consequently, Ostapenko was able to sustain pressure on the Sabalenka serve throughout the match, bringing up 11 break points (converting six) while facing just three against her (Sabalenka converted twice).

Ostapenko also delivered superb scoreboard management skills. She raced out of the blocks with a flurry of winners from all corners of the court -- on return, at net, even on defense -- to seize an immediate break for 2-0. But Sabalenka clung on to a pair of tight service games to avoid going down a double break, then unleashed on return herself to level at 4-4. Ostapenko responded with controlled aggression to break again for 5-4, and after 57 minutes served out a thrillingly contested set that could have tilted either way.

Ultimately, from 4-4, Ostapenko would take eight of the last nine games of the match. In the second set, Sabalenka won just 10 points -- four of which came in a single break to love -- and just five on serve. By the conclusion of the contest, Ostapenko was in full flow, closing out a 1-hour, 25-minute victory in trademark fashion with consecutive return winners.

How did Ostapenko assess her week?

Afterwards, Ostapenko told the press that she had a premonition of victory from the moment she arrived in Stuttgart.

"Honestly, I didn't tell to anyone, I was keeping it to myself, but I felt very confident since the first day," she said. "I had, like, strange -- not strange but in a good way, strange feeling. When I came here, I felt like something is going to happen this week. I pretty much felt that I can win this tournament. Because I think I'm improving day by day and I'm playing better and better. Yeah, I think I deserve it."

That culminated in a spectacular performance against a player she had never previously beaten.

"Obviously I played her a few times, but I analyzed those matches and I knew what I had to do different today," Ostapenko said. "I think I was more confident and more true player today than before."