Stuttgart event has a limited field which means even many top female tennis players must look elsewhere to survive
Few events signify the refreshing early days of a new clay season in tennis quite like the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Over the years this has become one of the most beloved tournaments on the Tour among players and spectators, its popularity reflected in an entry list tightly packed with quality every year.
This year, it is practically the Tour’s own battle royal. Nine of the top 10 players have descended upon the WTA 500 event this week (Tour events are divided into 1000, 500 and 250 categories in order of prestige and prize money) and the lowest-ranked player able to gain direct entry into the small 28-player main draw is ranked 24th. No match is easy. The wildcard Emma Raducanu, for example, will start on Tuesday against fellow grand‑slam champion Jelena Ostapenko, who at No 22 is actually one of the more favourable draws. The No 3 seed Ons Jabeur awaits the winner.
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