Elena Rybakina is leaving Stuttgart with her eighth WTA title and a lovely Porsche Taycan 4S Sport Turismo car. The Kazakhstani defeated Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in Sunday’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final, 6-2 6-2.
In the opening game, the 24-year-old player Rybakina swiftly broke her opponent’s serve to love, setting the tone for a dominant first set. The world No.4 continued her momentum into the second set, immediately securing a break and leaving Kostyuk with little chance to recover. Kostyuk’s fleeting opportunity for a comeback arose in the second set, where she managed to force three break points at 3-2. However, she squandered these chances, visibly frustrated and on the brink of tears.
Rybakina’s path to the final included a standout performance against the world number one and two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. Earlier at the 2024 edition of the tournament, the fourth seed recorded victories over Veronika Kudermetova and Jasmine Paolini.
Rybakina’s victory in Stuttgart earned her $123,480 in prize money, along with 500 ranking points and a Porsche Taycan 4S Sport Turismo car. Surprisingly, in a recent interview, the 2022 Wimbledon champion revealed that she does not possess a driver’s license. Runner-up Kostyuk received $76,225 in prize money and 325 ranking points for her performance.
This is Rybakina’s third WTA title of the 2023 season, as she triumphed at Brisbane in January and in Abu Dhabi the following month.
