World number two Iga Swiatek and third-ranked Jessica Pegula suffered shock exits from the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals on Saturday, as Jelena Ostapenko and Ekaterina Alexandrova marched into the semi-finals.
Ostapenko, ranked 24th, extended her perfect record against Swiatek with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win—her sixth in six meetings and first on clay. Swiatek, a two-time Stuttgart champion, came into the match with a dominant 11-1 record on the city’s indoor clay but was broken three times in a shaky first set.
Though the Polish star rallied to force a decider, Ostapenko stormed through the final set, winning 12 of the first 15 points. She now faces Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday.
Alexandrova, ranked 22nd, continued her impressive run by dismantling Pegula 6-0, 6-4. The American, who was runner-up in Miami last month and recently won the Charleston Open, failed to win a game in the opening set and, despite a late fightback, succumbed in straight sets.
The Russian now holds five top-10 victories in 2025, tied for the most this season alongside Mirra Andreeva and Madison Keys.
Later Saturday, world number one Aryna Sabalenka was due to face Elise Mertens. Sabalenka, a three-time runner-up in Stuttgart, is still chasing her first title at the event. Meanwhile, world number four Coco Gauff is set to battle Italy’s sixth-ranked Jasmine Paolini in another quarter-final clash.
