At 6-4, 4-1, 30-0 in Monday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final in Stuttgart, Jelena Ostapenko served, having won 13 of the prior 15 points. The world No. 24 wasn’t facing the world No. 124. She was facing the unquestioned world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka. Things were going well.
Even when she failed to handle a volley on the next point, Ostapenko couldn’t help but smile.
“I think the attitude of Ostapenko needs to be credited,” said the world feed announcer. “She’s been so confident, so poised and so self-assured.”
And why not? Ostapenko, entering the loaded WTA 500 tournament with a 7-9 record in 2025, had defeated three-time defending Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals, then took out Ekaterina Alexandrova—who had eliminated red-hot Jessica Pegula and Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva earlier in the week.
Now, she was making Sabalenka look like a world No. 124.
