Could the Stuttgart Win Be Elena Rybakina's Clay Court Trigger? Madrid and Rome Will Tell.

Could the Stuttgart Win Be Elena Rybakina's Clay Court Trigger? Madrid and Rome Will Tell.

From Tennis And Bagels Podcast by Andre Rolemberg, Vansh Vermani, Owen Lewis

April 22, 2026 · 26 min · Season 6 · Episode 203

About this episode

The episode discusses Elena Rybakina's potential rise in the WTA rankings following her Stuttgart win and the implications for upcoming tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

Elena Rybakina could have lost in the quarterfinals in Stuttgart. She didn't. And maybe that was the confidence boost she needed to know she could be one of the big favourites for Roland Garros and the World No.1 mantle, both for the first time. Losing to Fernandez could have thrown Rybakina's No.1 quest off course, and given Sabalenka almost free rein over Madrid and Rome, making only herself her biggest enemy. But now that Rybakina is playing amazing on clay, Madrid and Rome suddenly became the battle grounds for favouritism ahead of the clay-court major in Paris. The results from both, and possibly two mouth-watering clashes in the final of both tournaments, could be decisive factors for who will finish the clay season on top of the World. But the battle doesn't end on just the Top 2 players, unlike what we are seeing on the ATP. The entire WTA Top 10 is very strong, and upwards to the Top 30, every player can be extremely dangerous. Gauff, the Roland Garros defending champion, is a bit of a tough prediction, since she plays at her best infrequently, but always finds ways to win matches no matter against whom she plays. Pegula is not just going to sit there and hope for the…

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