Ostapenko won the Stuttgart Open title last week.
Fresh off her championship run in Stuttgart, Jelena Ostapenko is looking to continue the winning momentum at the 2025 Madrid Open. The Latvian’s first big test will be against her national compatriot Anastasija Sevastova. Despite the former Roland Garros winner starting as the firm favourite, her head to head record against the former World No. 11 is intriguing to say the least.
While Stuttgart presented a singles renaissance for Jelena Ostapenko, the 27-year-old has been excelling on the doubles circuit. The World No. 18 won doubles trophies in Abu Dhabi as well as Charleston, and also reached the summit clash in Dubai and Australia alongside Hsieh. In singles, ‘Penko’ reached the final in Qatar, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova. Yet, she beat Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the Stuttgart crown.
Anastasija Sevastova is making a return after a brutal ACL injury. The unranked player bested Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Round-1 for the first time in nine meetings. The 35-year-old is a former Top-15 player – having reached the semifinals of the 2018 US Open too. Coming from the same country as Ostapenko, it will be a fierce battle to determine who enters Round-3.
Anastasija Sevastova has a 2-0 head to head record against her higher ranked opponent in the form of Ostapenko. Their last meeting was over six years ago in Stuttgart – the tournament that Ostapenko won very recently.
Ostapenko and Sevastova have very contrasting game styles. While the fiesty 27-year-old likes to go for her shots and keep the intensity high, Sevastova has a more calm approach that involves rallies and exchanges. In the first ever match between the duo, Ostapenko was forced to retire midway. When they met in the return fixture in Stuttgart 2019, Sevastova won in three sets.
| Event | Round | Winner | Score |
| 2019 Stuttgart | Round of 32 | Anastasija Sevastova | 6-2 4-6 6-0 |
| 2015 Moscow | Qualifying R2 | Anastasija Sevastova | 6-3 3-1 RET. |
| Jelena Ostapenko | Category | Anastasija Sevastova |
| 1 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 9 | WTA Singles Titles | 4 |
| 11 | WTA Doubles Titles | 0 |
| 0 | WTA-1000 Titles | 0 |
| R1 (Tokyo 2020) | Olympics Best Performance | – |
| No. 18 | Current World Ranking | N/A |
Anastasija Sevastova (and her drop shot) are back in Madrid at age 35 after maternity leave and a major knee injury. She beat Pavlyuchenkova in round one and now faces her fellow Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, fresh off her title run in Madrid. Great to see her back… pic.twitter.com/45BFQu1M6K
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) April 24, 2025
In a match of contrasting styles of play, it is important to consider form heading into the match. Ostapenko is in full throttle mode at the moment, destroying anything and anyone that stands in her path. Meanwhile, Madrid is more of a pathway to the future for Sevastova. Having recently returned from an injury layoff, her focus will be more on returning to full match fitness and getting game time.
Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets.
Jelena Ostapenko Win: 1/3
Anastasija Sevastova Win: 3/1
A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.
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