Action at the Stuttgart Open is underway, with most of the WTA Tour’s biggest names in action on the indoor clay over the next week or so.
Defending champion Elena Rybakina is not in action, but world No 2 and two-time winner Iga Swiatek will look to win her third title, while world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka hopes to triumph after three previous final losses.
The battle between world No 3 Jessica Pegula and world No 4 Coco Gauff for the US No 1 ranking looks set to intensify, with the pair seeded third and fourth, respectively.
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and in-form rising star Mirra Andreeva are also in action, while Emma Navarro and Diana Shnaider round out a strong top eight seeds at the WTA 500 event.
Usually, this event is run in the same fashion as most one-week events, but there is a key schedule difference in 2025 that looks set to affect several leading title contenders.
Why is there a change?
The Stuttgart final is usually held on a Sunday, but in 2025 it will take place on Monday.
This is because the upcoming Easter weekend and state rules in Baden-Wurttemberg, of which Stuttgart is both the capital and largest city.
Rules in the state – the third-largest in Germany – prohibit any form of sporting event from taking place on Good Friday, which this year falls on April 18 – midway through the tournament.
That means that the tournament will not be able to hold matches inside the Porsche Arena on Friday, and will instead pause for one day.
The rules are specific for Baden-Wurttemberg, and rules differ state by state, which is why the Munich Open is unaffected.
The ATP 500 event, held on outdoor clay, will run as normal on Good Friday due to no such law or rule in the state of Bavaria.
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What impact does it have on the schedule?
Up until Friday, the schedule in Stuttgart will run as normal, with the first handful of opening-round matches taking place on Monday (14 April).
As the top four seeds, Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, and Gauff have all received round-one byes and will begin their campaigns in round two, with their matches set to be held across April 16-17.
With no play on Good Friday, the last eight players left in the draw will return on Saturday for the four quarter-finals, and then the semi-finals will take place on Sunday.
That will then be followed by Monday’s final, which is set to start at 1pm local time.
Main draw action at the upcoming Madrid Open will begin on Tuesday, 22 April, though the seeds in the Spanish capital receive opening byes – meaning the turnaround should not be too brutal.
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The post Explained: Why leading Stuttgart contenders face a Monday final at WTA 500 event appeared first on Tennis365.
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