Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2025 reaches the stage of quarterfinals with a really impressive line-up. The main draw was already stacked from the start, and the top five seeds are still in the competition, ready to deliver some high-quality matches in the decisive stages of the tournament in Stuttgart. The quarterfinals will take place on Saturday, as Friday is a day off due to no sports events being held during Good Friday in the Stuttgart region. Here is the breakdown of the clashes coming up after the one-day break.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Elise Mertens
The world number one finds herself in an unusual situation, reaching the quarterfinals without stepping onto the match court so far in Stuttgart. After receiving a bye in the opening round, like all top four seeds, Sabalenka got a walkover from Anastasia Potapova in the second round. The Russian had won a very interesting three-setter against Clara Tauson on Monday but withdrew from the tournament the next day due to a hand injury. That meant Sabalenka knew as early as Tuesday that she would have four more days off until her first match on Saturday - exactly one whole week after arriving in Stuttgart. That’s how she reacted to the news during Tuesday’s press conference:
“Yeah, that’s a bit awkward, but I was mostly worried about whether everything was okay with her, so I messaged her and figured out the situation. I was like, What are you doing to me? My next match is on Saturday (smiling). Yeah, that’s a bit awkward, but we adjusted the practice schedule a little bit, and I guess it’s gym time for me.”
Elise Mertens is her opponent on Saturday after scoring two confident straight-set wins over 8th seed Diana Shnaider and qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich. The Belarusian is the obvious favorite here, given her great form in recent weeks and the head-to-head record - Sabalenka has won their last seven meetings, with Mertens' last victory coming back in 2018. However, this will be Sabalenka’s first match on clay this season, while the Belgian has already tested herself in two matches here and also played in Charleston two weeks ago. Mertens isn’t known for striking the most powerful shots in the WTA field, but her consistency and strong defensive skills could give her some chances on clay, despite being the underdog in this match-up.
Iga Swiatek (2) vs. Jelena Ostapenko
This might be one of the match-ups many have been anticipating since the draw was revealed, given the history between Swiatek and Ostapenko. The Latvian has been a real nightmare for Swiatek, winning all their previous encounters - including one in Doha two months ago, where she crushed the world number two 6-3, 6-1. Ostapenko looked great at the Qatar Open, making an impressive run to the final, but her form dipped afterward. The current world number 24 is known for her ability to produce stunning performances over a single week - or, conversely, extremely erratic play far from top-level standards. The week in Stuttgart so far seems to be more similar to one of her positive stretches.
She fought hard for her second-round victory over Emma Navarro, as reflected in the stats.
The Latvian defeated Navarro despite facing a staggering 56 (!) pressure points in all her service games across three sets. She managed to defend 38 of them - most importantly, 14 out of 18 break points. Ostapenko remained focused and composed during key moments and, despite generating only 23 pressure points on return, found the right shots when needed. Sharp, dangerous, and especially efficient on return in the third set, Ostapenko dominated the last four games of the exciting battle, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win.
Swiatek has played one match so far, getting the job done in her opening round against qualifier Jana Fett. The Croatian had advanced to the round of 16 after pulling off the biggest upset on paper so far - defeating compatriot Donna Vekic on Tuesday in a match where Vekic seemed noticeably off her game. Swiatek scored a routine 6-2, 6-2 win over Fett. The Pole shared some thoughts in her post-match press conference about working on specific technical aspects of her game:
“I would say from the beginning of my collaboration with Wim, I’ve been working on the efficiency of my first serve. So yeah, placement - I think that’s something I want to improve, because I feel like that’s what wins us points. Not really, you know, the speed.
But I try to do both, because I like to go for it and not stop my hand.
We’re also working on using more drop shots, but that’s not something totally new. I always wanted to do that, but the technique isn’t perfect yet. If you haven’t been doing that since you were a kid - like Carlos Alcaraz, for example - it’s a bit harder to develop it later on. So yeah, I want to try, because that’s the only way to improve and really learn how to do it.”
While the head-to-head record favors Ostapenko, none of their previous matches were played on clay - Swiatek’s dominant surface. It seems that the duel taking place in Stuttgart, where the Pole has been so successful in recent years, might be the perfect occasion for her to break the losing streak in this particular rivalry.
Jessica Pegula (3) vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova
Pegula continues her excellent run of form, scoring her seventh consecutive victory on clay after defeating Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-1. The challenge will increase significantly in the quarterfinals, where she faces Alexandrova - who is having a very strong season so far. The Russian has quietly shown she can reach the later stages of big tournaments, flying somewhat under the radar. One of her standout runs came in Charleston two weeks ago, where she met Pegula in the semifinals. That match was a tight three-set battle that Pegula managed to win, even though she wasn’t playing her best tennis at times. Alexandrova has already set the impressive upset here in Stuttgart, defeating the 5th seed Mirra Andreeva in a very comfortable way by 6-3 6-2. The victory over her compatriot and two times WTA 1000 champ from this season was rated with a high average pre-match odd - 3.60. It was a deserved victory, especially looking for how good serving performance was displayed there by Alexandrova at this day.
Pegula was asked about the upcoming rematch during her post-match press conference following her win over Frech:
“Yeah. She’s going to be really tough. The last few times I’ve played her - every time I’ve played her - it’s just been an absolute war, a battle. I’m expecting the same.
Who knows what’s going to happen on Saturday? But yeah, we just played in Charleston. It was a crazy match. Honestly, I probably should have lost that match, but I was able to pull it out.
I think it’ll be different here. That day in Charleston was really, really windy, and the conditions were tough outside. Playing indoors now - I don’t know, we’ll see who that favors. I feel like she serves so well, and she likes playing indoors, so maybe that favors her a little more.
Whereas I think the tough conditions outside might have helped me more. But I don’t know. You never really know. We’ll see how we’re both playing. She’s been playing some really good tennis this year, had a lot of big wins already, and had a really good win today. I’m sure she’s feeling confident. She’s beaten me before, so it’s going to be a tough match.”
Coco Gauff (4) vs. Jasmine Paolini (5)
The only quarterfinal match-up between two seeded players, who have had a relatively smooth path up to this point. Both Gauff and Paolini were placed in a section of the draw filled with local representatives granted wild cards and lucky loser spots. Paolini was favored to defeat Eva Lys and Jule Niemeier - and did so quite comfortably, not dropping a set in either match. Gauff missed a potential clash with Danielle Collins, who withdrew from the event just after the main draw was revealed, citing an apparent "illness". Instead, Gauff faced lucky loser Ella Seidel and won the match in under an hour with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 scoreline.
The 2025 season has been a road of ups and downs for both players. Gauff started strong during the Australian swing but has struggled with her form over the past two months on hard courts. Paolini, on the other hand, had a slow start to the year but rebounded in Miami with a run to the semifinals. Both players have proven their ability on clay - with Paolini reaching the Roland Garros final last year, and Gauff doing the same in 2022. This match has no clear favorite and promises a range of possible outcomes.
Paolini praised her upcoming opponent during her press conference after her round of 16 match, also noting how well the two know each other from training together in recent months:
“Yeah, we know each other. I’ve practiced with her a lot over the last, I think, six months. She’s a really tough player. She can play really, really well. Her ball is so powerful, I think.
I don’t know what to expect, but for sure, I need to try to be aggressive, to try to control the point. But it’s not going to be easy, because she’s serving well, moving well, and returning well. She’s basically a very complete player to me.
So I have to play a good match to stay in it, to try to win some games. I have to be focused, I have to play aggressively, and I have to be there for every point.”
