It has become the norm for tennis fans to check the tournament draw to see if Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko are on a crash course to meet again. Ostapenko has dominated Swiatek in five previous meetings. She was brimming with confidence when she dismissed Swiatek in Doha in February.
Whether it is physical, mental, a combination of the two, or just a bad matchup for Swiatek, she has only won two sets in those previous five matches. Swiatek is known for serving her opponents breadsticks, which means defeating them 6-1 in a set, yet Ostapenko has done that to her three times. She even served Swiatek a bagel with a 6-0 set win in 2019 in Birmingham.
Swiatek and Ostapenko will play in the 2025 Porsche Grand Prix quarterfinals on Saturday. Is the sixth time the charm for Iga?
One noteworthy difference about Iga Swiatek vs. Jelena Ostapenko Stuttgart quarterfinal
This is the first time the two women have played on clay. Four of the previous matches were on hardcourts, and one was on a grass court. Swiatek's best surface is clay.
Can Iga Swiatek take her revenge over Jelena Ostapenko? 🧐
— FirstSportz Tennis (@FS_Tennis1) April 18, 2025
Or will Ostapenko make her head-to head 6-0 against Swiatek? 💪
The two have never met each other before on clay, Iga's favourite surface ❗ pic.twitter.com/rRpXWDscEt
Clay could be Ostapenko's favorite surface, too. She won the 2017 French Open.
Ostapenko admitted that she loves playing in Stuttgart, and this is her best career result after years of being ousted in early rounds.
One of four interesting quarterfinal matches slated for Saturday
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has been off to a ho-hum start because of pre-tournament withdrawals, injuries, and retirements; however, on Saturday, the action finally kicks into full gear.
Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko's match is the second one of the day. The first is a rematch from a physical semifinal at the Charleston Open between Elena Alexandrova and Jessica Pegula. The third match is Aryna Sabalenka's first match of the tournament, because of byes and withdrawals, against Elise Mertens. Finally, Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini close out the day.