Elena Rybakina started her clay court season with a commanding performance at the 2026 Stuttgart Open. The world No. 2 defeated Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 12 minutes, successfully reaching tomorrow's quarterfinals.
The 2026 Australian Open champion returned as the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix's top seed after skipping last year's competition. While Rybakina chose to begin her 2025 clay season in Madrid, she opted to make Stuttgart this year's first stop.
Rybakina dominated with her serve throughout the match, winning three at-love service games in the opening set. She lost just three total points in her other two first-set service games combined, with the opening set lasting just 29 minutes.
Rybakina targeted Shnaider's backhand to create quick points, often finishing rallies in two or three shots. She sprinted to a 4-1 lead by winning 17 of the first 22 points.
Shnaider performed better in the second set but struggled with double faults at critical moment, ultimately giving Rybakina the decisive break. The Kazakh closed out the match on serve with her signature ace.
"If I do the right things, I think [it's] most important to get, achieve this and somehow to maintain," Rybakina said going into the tournament. "And it's very difficult, yeah, difficult goal. I'm working for it, so hopefully it will happen."
The match marked the first WTA Tour meeting between the two players. It also represented the first time Rybakina faced a left-handed opponent this season, with her last match against a lefty coming against Leylah Fernandez in October 2025.
How to Watch Elena Rybakina in the Stuttgart Open Quarterfinals
Rybakina now awaits the winner of Thursday's match between Fernandez and Zeynep Sonmez.
The Stuttgart Open quarterfinals take the court on Friday at 6:30 AM ET. Rybalinka's match is set to close out the day's lineup at 12:30 PM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.
