The 2025 season reaches a key transition point as the first long stretch of hard court tournaments concludes in Miami. This marks the beginning of the clay season, which kicks off with several weeks of action, primarily at legendary European venues. One of the most notable among them is Stuttgart, home to the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix - a historic tournament that has been held since 1978 and hosted in Stuttgart since 2005.
It is the most well-known and prestigious indoor clay court event on the calendar, consistently attracting nearly all of the top WTA players. Tournament organizers have revealed the entry list, which includes 8 of the world’s top 10 players as of the cut-off date (March 19) and 15 of the top 20.
Star Players Returning to Stuttgart
Leading the field are Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, who have faced each other in the previous two Stuttgart finals, both won in straight sets by the Polish star in 2022 and 2023. Unless Swiatek triumphs in Miami, she will arrive in Stuttgart amid a title drought since her last Grand Slam victory at Roland Garros in 2024. That triumph capped off another stellar clay season—her most successful surface.
Sabalenka has enjoyed a strong track record in Stuttgart but has yet to claim the title. She has finished as runner-up three years in a row, losing to Swiatek in the past two editions and to the now-retired Ashleigh Barty in 2021.
Porsche Grand Prix 2025 Players - Heatmap Performance Analysis
As we head into the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, it's valuable to analyze how the top players have performed on clay courts leading up to this event. Below is a statistical heatmap showcasing key performance metrics for the top contenders, offering insight into their strengths and potential impact in Stuttgart.
Last Year’s Surprise and Notable Absentees
2024 edition saw an unexpected outcome as Elena Rybakina upset Swiatek in the semifinals and went on to claim the title, defeating Marta Kostyuk in the final. However, both finalists are absent from this year’s entry list. Rybakina, struggling with a dip in form, opted not to enter, while Kostyuk narrowly missed the cut-off but still has a chance to compete through the qualifiers. The entry cut-off was exceptionally high, set at world No. 28.
Top Contenders for the 2025 Edition
Beyond the players who have dominated the Porsche Grand Prix in recent years, the 2025 edition features several top-ranked contenders who have excelled on clay this season. Among them is Qinwen Zheng, the surprise gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, where she stunned Swiatek in the semifinals. Also competing is Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic.
Mirra Andreeva is another rising star to watch, having made a sensational breakthrough in 2025 by winning back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells. The young talent already enjoyed a strong clay season last year, highlighted by a semifinal run at Roland Garros and a quarterfinal finish in Madrid. Given that clay was the surface where she first made her mark on the tennis world, she is considered one of the top favorites in Stuttgart this year.
Jasmine Paolini begins her clay campaign with the challenge of defending a significant number of ranking points from her impressive 2024 season, which included a run to the Roland Garros final. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff, a highly versatile player, also thrives on clay. Although her biggest career successes have come on hard courts, she was a Roland Garros finalist in the past and reached the semifinals of the Grand Slam last year, as well as in the preceding event in Rome.
Danielle Collins is also among the top clay court performers from last year. 2024 was a breakthrough season for the American, who displayed her full potential during the spring. She followed her maiden WTA 1000 trophy in Miami with another title in Charleston just a week later. Despite celebrating her biggest career successes on hard courts, Collins has always possessed the ability to play well on clay. Her first-ever WTA tournament win came on clay in Palermo four years ago. The 2024 season was a strong one for her on clay—not only did she win Charleston, but she also reached the semifinals in Rome and the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games in July. Collins faces the challenge of defending a significant number of ranking points during this period, especially after a slow start to the 2025 season. However, she remains one of the players to watch in Stuttgart, where she will be making her debut appearance.
Home Hope: Eva Lys on the Rise
Local fans will be eager to support Eva Lys, the only officially announced main draw wild card so far. The German, currently ranked No. 76, continues to make steady progress in her career. Her 2025 season highlights include a surprise run to the Australian Open round of 16 as a lucky loser, along with a solid clay court performance last year, where she reached the main draw at Roland Garros and advanced to the quarterfinals at the German clay event in Hamburg.
Key Tactical Insights: Serve and Return Performance
Beyond overall clay court performance, serve and return play will be critical factors in determining success at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Below are two charts analyzing how the top players have fared in these key areas, offering additional insight into potential strengths and weaknesses as they head into Stuttgart. Both the maps contain top 10 out of the entry lists competitors in terms of serving and returning performance.
With such a strong field and compelling storylines, the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix promises to be an exciting start to the clay season. The tournament starts on April 12th, and will be completed with a final taking place on Sunday, April 20th.
