Aryna Sabalenka Moves Into Stuttgart Quarter-Finals Without Lifting a Racket
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Aryna Sabalenka's campaign at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart is going as well as it possibly could, even though she has yet to play a match.
Being the World No. 1 player on the WTA Tour includes some positives, and Sabalenka got to experience those at the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart.
Despite being one of the most prestigious WTA 500 tournaments on the calendar, the top four seeded players in Stuttgart have a first-round bye. That means they start their tournament already in the second round.
Naturally, as the top seed, Sabalenka is one of the players who was awarded a bye. For her, that meant a second-round match against the winner of the match between Anastasia Potapova and Clara Tauson.
The Belarusian player was likely happy when she saw the two battling it out on the tennis court for nearly three hours. Ultimately, it was Potapova who won the match 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-3, to reach the second round of the tournament.
The Russian player should have challenged Sabalenka for the quarter-final spot, but prior to their meeting, Potapova announced her withdrawal from the WTA 500 tournament.
Potapova posted an update on her Instagram profile, announcing her withdrawal, saying that she can't continue competing because of an injury.
"Very sad to announce that I’m not able to continue my run in Stuttgart. The last few days were very tough, and unfortunately, my old injury came up. I always loved to play here and am happy with my yesterday's win, but it is what it is... See you in 2026! I will make sure I’m ready and healthy for Madrid."
Potapova's withdrawal puts Sabalenka in a very unique situation. The WTA World No. 1 player now made it to the quarter-finals in Stuttgart without having to lift her tennis racket.
On top of that, she will start a tournament later than she has ever started one. The 26-year-old won't get into action until Saturday because of a special schedule at this year's Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
There will be no play on Friday because of the local laws, which prohibit play on Good Friday, which is one of the biggest Christian holidays. That means that Sabalenka will start her tournament on Saturday, with the winner being crowned on Monday.
That will give the three-time Grand Slam champion enough time to prepare for her match against Diana Shnaider or Elise Mertens.
