Jelena Ostapenko defeated world women’s tennis number one Aryna Sabalenka to win the Stuttgart Open in shocking fashion.
Ostapenko, who had failed to win in three previous meetings against Sabalenka, took the match 6-4 6-1.
The Latvian set the tone with a break of serve in the opening game and kept the pressure on throughout.
Sabalenka was broken again in the first game of the second set before dropping serve on a further two occasions in an error-prone performance.
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Ostapenko raced to victory in emphatic style by winning five games in a row.
“I’m really happy today,” Ostapenko said.
She said to her opponent: “It is great to share the court with you, you are such a great champion.”
Ostapenko, 27, also beat world number two Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals.
It is her ninth WTA title and a first on clay since winning the French Open in 2017.
Sabalenka, 26, was making her fourth appearance in the Stuttgart Open final, having lost to Ash Barty in 2021 and Swiatek in both 2022 and 2023.
“Congratulations Jelena on a great week. You were a better player than me today and that’s it,” Sabalenka said.
“It’s not for me every year [here] but maybe next year.”
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
