Jelena Ostapenko sends bold message about how good she is after blowing past Iga Swiatek for 6th straight time in Stuttgart
Jelena Ostapenko defied the odds to continue her exceptional unbeaten streak against Iga Swiatek with a win in the quarterfinal of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The Latvian now holds a 6-0 record against the World No. 2.
On Saturday, April 19, second seed Swiatek took on Ostapenko on Stuttgart's clay. This was the first time the pair was set to meet on clay after Ostapenko earned the spoils on five previous occasions. There was an air of vulnerability surrounding Ostapenko's streak, considering Swiatek's exceptional dominance on clay.
From the get-go, Ostapenko clearly showed her intentions of being on the offensive. She broke Swiatek's serve thrice to earn the first set, but the Pole made a comeback in the second and forced a decider. However, after 2 hours and 7 minutes, Ostapenko came out on top again, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
"Yeah, she's a great clay court player, but I won French [Open], so I can say about myself the same thing... I'm really happy with the way I was fighting. Even felt like the balls were getting a bit slower when they were used. I'm just glad that I was fighting," Jelena Ostapenko said.
The 2017 French Open champion added that after losing the second set, she erased it from her head and started the third fresh.
"Like, in the second set, I didn't feel my game so much. And in the third set, I was like, 'Okay, it's done. The second set is done. We're playing the third set from the beginning, and I will fight until the end, and we'll see what happens.' But I'm really proud of myself," she added.
The Latvian has now defeated Iga Swiatek on all surfaces.
"I have so much respect for Iga Swiatek and her team" - Jelena Ostapenko after their Stuttgart QF
Jelena Ostapenko is now 6-0 against Swiatek and has defeated her twice already in 2025. When asked if she likes to play against Swiatek or if the Pole hates to play against her, the World No. 24 said:
"I think both. No, but I have so much respect for her and her team. And, everything she is doing for tennis. But, everytime I step on the court against her, I'm like, 'It's another battle, I'm ready for it and I'm just gonna leave it all on the court.' And, I think it helped today that I was fighting until the very last point."
Their most recent clash, before playing in Stuttgart, came in the semifinals of the 2025 Qatar Open, where Jelena Ostapenko cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Prior to that, she knocked Iga Swiatek out of the 2023 US Open in the fourth round with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback win.
In 2022, the Latvian edged out Swiatek in a thrilling three-set battle in Dubai’s round of 16, winning 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4). A year earlier, at Indian Wells, she defeated Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the round of 16. Their earliest meeting came at the 2019 Birmingham Classic in the round of 32, where Ostapenko won 6-0, 6-2.
Up next for Ostapenko is an exciting semifinal clash against Ekaterina Alexandrova. This will be the 11th clash between the pair, with their head-to-head tied at 5-5.