Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Stuttgart match.
Aryna Sabalenka begins her campaign in Stuttgart looking to finally lift a trophy that has just eluded her three times, all in the final. Her opening-round opponent is Anastasia Potapova, who came through a tough first match, saving a match point against Clara Tauson.
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka has been in excellent form this season, capturing titles in Brisbane and Miami and finishing runner-up at both the Australian Open and Indian Wells. She typically starts her clay-court season well in Stuttgart, where she has posted 11 wins from 15 matches and has reached at least the quarter-finals on all four of her previous visits. Sabalenka tends to make a strong statement in her early rounds — in three of her last four first matches here, she has won by a margin of more than six games.
Anastasia Potapova
Potapova opened the year with a title at the WTA 250 event in Cluj but has struggled since, failing to progress beyond the second round in her last four tournaments. In Stuttgart, she scraped past Clara Tauson in three sets — losing the first set heavily and saving a match point in the second before eventually winning 2:6, 7:6, 6:3. However, the Russian landed only 51% of her first serves and committed seven double faults. Potapova has a poor track record against top-10 players, losing 10 of her 11 matches, and she has been beaten in all four of her clay-court matches against top-ranked opposition.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Anastasia Potapova Prediction
Sabalenka goes into this match with a clear advantage and has displayed outstanding form in 2025. Potapova continues to falter against elite players, especially on clay. Last year’s meeting between the two saw Sabalenka dominate (6:1, 6:2), and there is little indication that this encounter will be any different. The expectation is a comfortable win for Sabalenka, and the bet is on her to cover the handicap.
