Stuttgart Open Delayed: Gauff, Sabalenka, Swiatek and Others Forced to Wait Due to Local Law
A number of top WTA players—including Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek—have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Stuttgart Open, but will face an unusual delay in play. Due to local laws in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, no sporting events can take place on Good Friday, pushing the quarter-final matches to Saturday.
All top five seeds are through to the last eight at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Sabalenka is scheduled to face Elise Mertens, while Gauff takes on Jasmine Paolini. Jessica Pegula will meet Ekaterina Alexandrova, and top seed Swiatek will play Jelena Ostapenko.
As a result of the delay, matches will begin at approximately 12:30pm local time on Saturday, with the final quarter-final not starting before 6:30pm. The semi-finals and doubles final are set for Sunday, followed by the singles final on Monday. The champion will receive not only a trophy and prize money but also a Porsche.
Sabalenka has had an unusual journey so far—she hasn’t played a single match yet. After receiving a first-round bye, her second-round opponent, Anastasia Potapova, withdrew, sending Sabalenka straight to the quarter-finals.
“It’s a bit awkward,” Sabalenka said. “I even messaged her to check if everything was okay. I said, ‘What are you doing to me? My next match isn’t until Saturday!’ So now we’ve adjusted the practice schedule… it’s gym time for me.”
