Sabalenka is the Latest Star to Drop Out of Stuttgart Open

Clay court season is well underway, but injuries have defined the swing before it even got started. Many of the top men's and women's players have dropped out of tournaments, with more withdrawals coming today.

Aryna Sabalenka announced that she would not compete in the 2026 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (WTA 500 Stuttgart).

The top-ranked tennis star said, "I always love coming back to Stuttgart. The atmosphere, the fans and the support I feel there are so special to me, and of course, I was really hoping to have another chance to fight for that Porsche.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will miss Stuttgart due to injury. pic.twitter.com/HoPLZ8D6Ly
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) April 9, 2026

"Unfortunately, I suffered an injury after Miami and even though I tried everything to recover in time, I'm not ready to compete. I'm really sorry to miss this amazing tournament. Wishing everyone a great week in Stuttgart and I hope to see you all again very soon."

Before Sabalenka's announcement, Qinwen Zheng announced that she would not compete in the event due to an injury. "Alexandra Eala replaces [Qinwen] Zheng in the main draw," said tournament organizers in a social media post.

"Unfortunately, Qinwen has to withdraw due to injury, but fans can now look forward to seeing Alexandra step in. We wish Qinwen a speedy recovery and hope to see her back on the court in Stuttgart very soon!"

Chinese player Zheng Qinwen has officially withdrawn from the WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart due to injury. This marks Zheng's third withdrawal in just four months this season. Ongoing injuries have not only disrupted her clay-court preparations but also seen her… pic.twitter.com/J6FlOCzXPi
— Titan Sports (@titan_plus) April 8, 2026

Zheng did not disclose her injury, which is concerning to her fans. The Chinese superstar failed to capitalize on her 2024 breakout season in 2025.

In fact, she missed the second half of the year after undergoing elbow surgery. Since then, it has been a pattern of starting and stopping as she continues to battle health issues.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka could either be dealing with wear-and-tear from her lengthy runs at every tournament she plays, or she could be optimizing her schedule for the best results this spring and summer.

Sabalenka soars into the quarterfinals! 🌟@SabalenkaA advances in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 against Zheng in Miami!#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/DflhhSBSnK
— wta (@WTA) March 23, 2026

Sabalenka is the WTA World No. 1 with a singles record of 23-1 with three singles titles. Her last match was her victory in the Miami Open final. Meanwhile, Zheng is the World No. 37 with a singles record of 4-3 with zero titles. Her last match was a loss to Sabalenka in Miami.

The 2026 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is held on the indoor clay courts at the state-of-the-art Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany. The WTA 500 event runs from April 13-19. The prize money is $1,206,446.

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