Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek join Coco Gauff in strong field for WTA 500 event

With the clay court season just around the corner, several players have started to finalise their schedules as they get ready for their first tournaments in Europe this year.

Jack Draper has committed to the Barcelona Open, while Emma Raducanu has added Linz to her clay court calendar.

While Emma Raducanu hasn’t set a full schedule yet, she’ll be at both Roland Garros and Rome, with Linz now confirmed as part of her build-up.

There aren’t as many Masters events on clay for the WTA Tour, which makes some of the smaller tournaments even more appealing for top players.

Coco Gauff has signed up for Stuttgart and is joined by 13 other players from the current top 20 rankings.

The Stuttgart Open announces strong field

Stuttgart will host the second WTA 500 tournament of the clay swing, and it’s pulled in a strong field. Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff – currently the top four in the rankings – are all down to play.

Sabalenka and Gauff are both aiming for their first title at this event, while Swiatek will be looking to continue her impressive form on clay.

Jasmine Paolini, Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva are also on board, bringing even more depth to an already strong field. In addition to them, there are five more players from inside the top 20 confirmed: Ekaterina Alexandrova, Linda Noskova, Karolina Muchova, Clara Tauson and Elise Mertens.

And as usual for Stuttgart, the wildcard picks look interesting too. Local favourites Laura Siegemund and Eva Lys have been given direct entry into the main draw. They’re joined by rising star Ella Seidel – another homegrown talent getting a shot at a big stage.

Stuttgart Open: Recent winners and past champions

The Stuttgart Women’s Open has long been a favourite among players, winning the WTA award for best tournament multiple times between 2007 and 2017.

Past champions include some of the sport’s biggest names, such as Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, and Lindsay Davenport.

More recently, Iga Swiatek has lifted the trophy twice in the past five years. Elena Rybakina, Jelena Ostapenko, and Ashleigh Barty have also claimed titles during that period.

Aryna Sabalenka has had her own share of close calls at this event, reaching four finals in the last five years but is still searching for her first title there.

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