Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from the 2026 Stuttgart Open.
Suffering an injury after her Sunshine Double triumph, Sabalenka announced her Stuttgart withdrawal on social media.
“Hi Stuttgart, I’m very sad to say that I won’t be able to play the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this year. Unfortunately, I suffered an injury after Miami, and even though I tried everything to recover in time, I’m not ready to compete,” said Sabalenka.
The Stuttgart Open have now released a statement of their own.
Stuttgart Open announce Aryna Sabalenka’s replacement
In the immediate aftermath of Sabalenka’s withdrawal, the Stuttgart Open shared the following message on X.
“Magdalena Frech joins the draw,” they wrote.
“As Aryna Sabalenka unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury, Magdalena will take her place.
“We wish our four-time finalist a speedy and full recovery and warmly welcome Magdalena to the main draw.”
Sabalenka made her Stuttgart debut five years ago and has been a constant threat in Germany.
She reached finals in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025, and the quarter-finals in 2024.
The Belarusian is, however, yet to lift the trophy.
Aryna Sabalenka’s record at the Stuttgart Open
| Year | Performance | Match wins |
| 2025 | Lost in F to Jelena Ostapenko | 3 (Anastasia Potapova, Elise Mertens, Jasmine Paolini) |
| 2024 | Lost in QF to Marketa Vondrousova | 1 (Paula Badosa) |
| 2023 | Lost in F to Iga Swiatek | 3 (Barbora Krejcikova, Paula Badosa, Anastasia Potapova) |
| 2022 | Lost in F to Iga Swiatek | 3 (Bianca Andreescu, Anett Kontaveit, Paula Badosa) |
| 2021 | Lost in F to Ash Barty | 4 (Shuai Zhang, Anna Lena Friedsam, Anett Kontaveit, Simona Halep) |
Sabalenka has lost finals against Ash Barty, Iga Swiatek, and, most recently, Jelena Ostapenko.
She would undoubtedly have loved the opportunity to fight for the title again this year, but will have to wait until 2027 for a chance at the trophy and a ‘free’ Porsche.
Sabalenka is the third player to withdraw from this year’s WTA 500 event in Stuttgart, after Qinwen Zheng and Anna Kalinskaya.
When Zheng withdrew, Alex Eala was promoted to the main draw.
The Filipina, Frech and Emma Navarro have all benefited from the withdrawals.
Only time will tell if they can make the most of the opportunity…
They won’t have it easy, though, as even with the big-name withdrawals, plenty of world-class players are set to make the trip to Germany.
The top eight seeds at the Stuttgart Open
- 1. Elena Rybakina
- 2. Coco Gauff
- 3. Iga Swiatek
- 4. Elina Svitolina
- 5. Jasmine Paolini
- 6. Mirra Andreeva
- 7. Karolina Muchova
- 8. Ekaterina Alexandrova
Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff will be determined to kick off their clay-court seasons with a statement win, as will Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
Ahead of the clay-court season, Swiatek has been training with Francisco Roig and Rafael Nadal.
Who better to ready her for another stellar campaign on the red dirt?
For Sabalenka, her focus will now turn to the Madrid Open and another WTA title defence.
Is the Madrid Open Aryna Sabalenka’s best clay-court event?
Sabalenka won the Madrid Open last year, defeating Gauff in the final.
Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 Madrid Open
- 1R – Bye
- 2R [WIN] vs Anna Blinkova, 6-3, 6-4
- 3R [WIN] vs Elise Mertens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
- 4R [WIN] vs Peyton Stearns, 6-2, 6-4
- QF [WIN] vs Marta Kostyuk, 7-6, 7-6
- SF [WIN] vs Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 7-5
- F [WIN] vs Coco Gauff, 6-3, 7-6
It was Sabalenka’s third triumph in the Spanish capital, having previously won in 2021 and 2023.
The Madrid Open remains the only WTA Tour clay-court tournament Sabalenka has won.
Aryna Sabalenka’s record at clay-court tournaments
| Tournament | Appearances | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Stuttgart Open | 5 | Finalist | 14-5 | 74% |
| Madrid Open | 7 | Champions (3) | 23-4 | 85% |
| Italian Open | 7 | Finalist | 12-7 | 63% |
| French Open | 8 | Finalist | 22-8 | 73% |
Returning to the event with an 85% win rate, you wouldn’t bet against Sabalenka defending her title.
That is, if she is fit to do so…
It’s unknown how serious Sabalenka’s injury is, and whether there is any risk that she might withdraw from Madrid as well.
The 2026 Madrid Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 20.
