
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko holds the winner’s trophy following the ladies’s singles ultimate tennis fit of the WTA excursion, in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa by the use of AP)
Jelena Ostapenko shocked international primary Aryna Sabalenka in directly units to win the WTA tournament in Stuttgart on Monday, securing the 9th identify of her occupation.
Ostapenko, unseeded and ranked 24th on the earth heading into the overall, received 6-4, 6-1 to win her first identify on clay since her 2017 French Open triumph.
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The Latvian cruised to victory, changing her first fit level to boost her first WTA singles trophy since February closing yr.
“It’s great to share the court with you — you’re a champion,” Ostapenko mentioned to Sabalenka in her on-court interview.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka has now misplaced 4 finals in Stuttgart up to now 5 seasons.
“I’m sure you hate me now because you wanted this car so badly, but I’m sure you’ll get it another time,” Ostapenko added of the auto event winners obtain as an advantage prize.
The 26-year-old Sabalenka, who received the 2024 US and Australian Opens, remains to be looking ahead to her first event victory on clay for the reason that 2023 Madrid Open.
“You were a better player than me, that’s all there is to it,” Sabalenka mentioned.
Ostapenko broke her opponent in the first actual recreation of the fit to set the tone.
She did the similar within the opening recreation of the second one set, which seemed to wreck Sabalenka’s resistance, with the Belarusian rising more and more pissed off.
At one level, Sabalenka fell to the clay, however signaled to her opponent and the umpire that she used to be no longer injured.
The event win completes an outstanding week for Ostapenko in Germany.
She defeated five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, ranked 2nd, within the quarters ahead of a straight-sets victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova within the semi-finals.
Ostapenko will climb six puts within the WTA ratings to 18th after her first win over Sabalenka on the fourth try.