dailyloe.com – The 2026 clay-court swing continued last week on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz with two tournaments on indoor clay. The Stuttgart WTA 500 and Rouen WTA 250 were held during this period.
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina collected her second trophy of the year in Stuttgart. It is her 13th career title and fifth on clay.
Rybakina saved two match points in her quarterfinal against Leylah Fernandez. This marks the first time she has won a title from match point down.
She remains at No. 2 in the latest edition of the PIF WTA Rankings. In Rouen, Marta Kostyuk claimed her second career title.
Kostyuk defeated compatriot Veronika Podrez in the first all-Ukrainian final in WTA history. Two out of three tour-level editions of the tournament have been won by a Ukrainian.
The 2025 champion was Elina Svitolina. The event marked a return to form for Kostyuk.
Kostyuk opened 2026 by defeating three Top 10 players to make the Brisbane final. She then suffered a torn ankle ligament at the Australian Open that sidelined her for over a month.
The 23-year-old climbs five places from No. 28 to No. 23 this week. In contrast to No. 1 seed Kostyuk, Podrez’s run came out of leftfield.
The 19-year-old was born in Nova Kakhovka. Her family emigrated to France when she was five years old.
Podrez was competing in her first WTA main draw after coming through qualifying. She defeated 2024 champion Sloane Stephens in the first round.
She then notched the first two Top 100 victories of her career over Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Katie Boulter. She received a semifinal walkover from Sorana Cirstea.
Ranked No. 209, Podrez became both the lowest-ranked WTA finalist and the first player to reach a final from qualifying in Rouen. She makes a 62-place leap in the rankings.
