Whilst the men take centre-stage at the Monte Carlo Masters, the WTA gets back into full swing tomorrow when all eyes will descend on Stuttgart.
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has rolled into town and the world’s best players will be hoping to emerge victorious from a strong field.
Iga Swiatek is very much the woman to beat when it comes to the clay-court season, with the Polish performer winning the last three French Open titles.
Last year, Elena Rybakina claimed the title in Stuttgart and once again she will be hoping to make waves in a big tournament on the women’s circuit.
Whilst the stars begin to string up for a week of drama, two players have now decided to withdraw from the competition on the eve of it beginning.
Qinwen Zheng and Ons Jabeur withdraw from Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Zheng played in Charleston earlier this month but was knocked out by Ekaterina Alexandrova, struggling with injury during the match.
It’s been a pretty mediocre start to 2025 for Zheng, who has failed to build on reaching the Australian Open final in 2024.
She was dumped out in round two of the same tournament this year and perhaps this injury will give her a chance to reset and take stock of where she is currently at.
It’s also bad news for Jabeur, who has also been forced to pull out of the tournament at the eleventh hour.
The 30-year-old hasn’t played since the Miami Open when she withdrew from her round of 32 match with Jasmine Paolini.
Now, she will sit out of Stuttgart too and it remains to be seen if she will miss any further tennis during 2025.
Jabeur has been striving for consistency since returning to the tour and will desperately be hoping to get back on track and improve her ranking of 27 in the world.
Aryna Sabalenka aims for maiden Stuttgart title
The Belarusian player will be the one to watch in Germany as the dominant player in the women’s game during 2025.
Sabalenka has the game to beat anyone and the world number one will be looking to bolster her position at the top of the rankings.
Sabalenka has never won this event and she will be keen to flex her credentials on clay before the French Open gets underway next month.
For Zheng and Jabeur, the recovery starts now and after pulling out of this tournament, there will naturally be doubts over whether they will play at Roland Garros.
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