Fresh from helping Great Britain reach the finals of the Billie Jean Cup at the weekend, Raducanu continued her promising form on clay by breezing past the home favourite. Raducanu and Kerber were both playing as wild cards in Stuttgart, with Raducanu falling down the rankings after undergoing three surgeries. Meanwhile, former world number one Kerber had recently returned from 18 months out on maternity leave. Raducanu made a perfect start by breaking Kerber in the opening game and went on to claim the first set in 41 minutes.
Kerber was broken again at the start of the second set, and although she managed to level the score, Raducanu stepped up her game and secured an emphatic win, even after a brief visit from the trainer. Raducanu acknowledged the challenge of facing Kerber, with all her accomplishments, and focused on the next point to secure the victory. In Stuttgart, Coco Gauff came back from 4-2 down in the deciding set to defeat Sachia Vickery, while Ons Jabeur ended a losing streak to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova.
In Rouen, Naomi Osaka’s return to clay was cut short by a first-round defeat to Martina Trevisan. Osaka, similar to Kerber, had recently returned to the tour after maternity leave and competed as a wild card. At the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal, Harriet Dart suffered a defeat to home player Matilde Jorge. Osaka, Kerber, and Raducanu all faced different challenges on the court, showcasing their resilience and determination in different tournaments.
