The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart will kick off the European clay-court season. The German indoor tournament features eight top 10 players.
World number 1 Iga Swiatek leads a star-studded line-up that also includes this year’s Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, last year’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and two-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur.
Swiatek returns to Stuttgart to defend her title. The Polish player beat Sabalenka 6-2 6-2 on her debut at this tournament last year to win her fourth consecutive tournament of the 2022 season.
Seven players have been able to successfully defend their title. Germany’s Angelique Kerber was the last player to win back-to-back titles in Stuttgart in 2015 and 2016.
Swiatek leads the top half of the draw and will start her title defence against Zheng Qinwen in the second round. The Chinese player beat lucky loser Alicia Parks 6-4 6-4.
Zheng was the only player to win a set off Swiatek at last year’s edition of Roland Garros, where the Polish player claimed the third Grand Slam title of her career.
Swiatek is on a collision course against the winner of the first round match between Maria Sakkari and Karolina Pliskova, who have drawn 3-3 in their six head-to-head matches. Sakkari reached two Grand Slam semifinals at Roland Garros and at the US Open in 2021. Sakkari beat Caroline Garcia to reach the semifinals in Doha.
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur heads the second quarter of the draw. Jabeur, who reached two Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and at the US Open, is seeded to face the winner of the first round match between 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko and 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu. Jabeur is on a collision course for a potential quarter final match against reigning Wimbledon and Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina, who will meet German number 1 Jule Niemeier.
Number 4 seed Caroline Garcia is the highest ranked player in the third quarter. The French player will face either Tatjana Maria or a qualifier.
In the same quarter of the draw last year’s Roland Garros finalist Coco Gauff will take on Veronika Kudemertova in the first round. Kudemertova, who reached the quarter finals at Roland Garros last year, beat Gauff in their only previous head-to-head match.
Two-time Wimbledon champion and this year’s Miami Open winner Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the tournament due to a right foot injury.
In the bottom quarter of the draw Aryna Sabalenka will face the winner of the first round match between 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova and Liudmila Samsonova.
Number 7 seed Daria Kasatkina will take on 2021 Indian Wells champion Paula Badosa at the other side of the quarter. Kasatkina leads 2-1 in her three head-to-head matches against Badosa.
