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By the People, for the People
Coco Gauff Confident Ahead of Stuttgart After Sabalenka Withdrawal
The American star is ready to build on her strong clay court form from 2025.
Apr. 14, 2026 at 6:09pm
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Coco Gauff's confidence on clay courts could make her a formidable opponent in the upcoming Stuttgart tournament.Rome TodayCoco Gauff has moved up to the second seed spot in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart after world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from the tournament. Gauff is coming off a strong showing at the Miami Open, where she reached the final, and is now shifting her focus to clay as she looks to build on her success on the surface last year.
Why it matters
Gauff is defending a significant number of ranking points this clay court season after her impressive run in 2025, including winning her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. With Sabalenka out, Gauff sees an opportunity to get off to a strong start on clay and position herself for another successful run.
The details
Despite Sabalenka's withdrawal, Stuttgart still features a strong field with six of the top 10 players, including two-time former champion Iga Swiatek. However, Gauff has expressed confidence in her chances, saying she always feels she has a good opportunity to do well regardless of who is in the draw. This will be Gauff's first clay court tournament of the season, as some other players have already competed on the surface at the Billie Jean King Cup and in Linz last week.
- Gauff reached the final of the Miami Open in March 2026.
- The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart is taking place in April 2026.
The players
Coco Gauff
A 22-year-old American tennis player who is currently ranked No. 3 in the world. She is coming off a strong 2025 season that included winning her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.
Aryna Sabalenka
A 27-year-old Belarusian tennis player who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world. She had been expected to lead the field in Stuttgart before withdrawing from the tournament.
Iga Swiatek
A 24-year-old Polish tennis player who is the two-time defending champion of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
What they’re saying
“I mean, yeah, always have a chance, regardless of who's in the draw, Aryna or whoever is in the draw. Always have a good chance to do well at any tournament.”
— Coco Gauff, Tennis Player
What’s next
Gauff will face Liudmila Samsonova in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix after receiving a bye in the first round. She will be looking to improve on her previous results at this tournament, where she has yet to get past the quarterfinal stage.
The takeaway
Coco Gauff's confidence heading into the clay court season is a positive sign as she looks to build on her impressive results from 2025, including winning her second Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. With Sabalenka's withdrawal, Gauff sees an opportunity to get off to a strong start on clay and position herself for another successful run.
