A colourful programme of side events with numerous innovative activities will underline the attractivity of the time-honoured event. The countdown for the 46th edition was rung in on Thursday by a press conference in the newly opened Porsche Brand Store downtown in Stuttgart’s Dorotheen Quartier.
Title-holder Iga Swiatek will be in action in the Porsche Arena together with her opponent in last year’s final – Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 2, will be coming to Stuttgart as the reigning Australian Open champion. Two former Stuttgart winners will also be competing – the Czechs Karolina Pliskova (2018) and Petra Kvitova (2019) have been crowd favourites for years now in the Porsche Arena.
After being given wild cards, Tatjana Maria and Jule Niemeier, currently Germany’s top two players, are both assured of main draw berths. As former Grand Slam champion, the Porsche Brand Ambassador Emma Raducanu (Great Britain/2021 US Open) received a Top 20 wild card. A total of seven Grand Slam winners will be in action in the Porsche Arena. Awaiting the winner of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a Neptune blue Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo as an electrifying main prize.
“We’ve got a stronger field than at a Grand Slam”
“This year’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix also fulfils our aim of being able to present our spectators in the Porsche Arena with the world’s top players,” said Tournament Director Markus Günthardt at the press conference in the Porsche Brand Store in Stuttgart. “We’ve basically got a stronger field than at a Grand Slam. At our tournament, the world No. 10 isn’t even seeded so she could meet the world No. 5 in the first round. It doesn’t happen at any other tournament.”
“Hosting so many international stars is a huge compliment for our tournament and the spectators in the Porsche Arena,” added Anke Huber, the Operating Tournament Director. “As a tournament in Germany, we also have a responsibility for German players and talented juniors. It’s why Jule Niemeier has received a main draw wild card and the Porsche Talent Team’s Noma Noha Akugue one for our strong qualifying where she can gain valuable experience for her further career. By giving a qualifying wild card to Sabine Lisicki after many years, years that were not easy for her tennis-wise, we’re giving her the chance to return to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix stage.“
“The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is one of the international tennis season’s highlights, and figuratively for us the 911 in sport sponsoring,” said Sebastian Rudolph, Head of Communications, Sustainability and Politics at Porsche AG, when speaking to numerous media representatives in the Porsche Brand Store. In comparing it to the sports car icon, he underlined the importance of the long-established tournament for the sports car manufacturer. “The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has been one of the sporting and society highlights in the Stuttgart region for over 40 years, and it also radiates out all around the world with its sporting excellence. Additionally, we will once again be sparking an impulse for our societal responsibilities. With the Aces for Charity campaign, we will donate money for people in need through no fault of their own
Aces for Charity – aid for Ukraine
As a part of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Porsche traditionally supports the work of charitable organisations through the Aces for Charity campaign. This year it will fully reflect the “75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars” celebrations. To mark the anniversary and inspired by the first Porsche 356, the sports car manufacturer will donate 356 euro for every ace struck during the tournament. The donation will be divided up equally between the “Stiftung Agapedia” foundation, the regional “Landessportverband Baden-Württemberg” sports association and the “Ferry-Porsche-Stiftung” foundation. It will go to support Ukraine aid programmes.
Exciting premiere – Racket Sports World
Visitors will experience an exciting premiere within the programme of side events at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The Racket Sports World is a festival of racket sports and offers a programme of “have-a-go-yourself” activities revolving around the sports of tennis, padel, table tennis, badminton and touch tennis. The sporting highlights in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle are the Yonex One Tennis-Point Grand Prix, the badminton international match between Germany and Ukraine and the first German touch tennis national championship.
In the newly styled Porsche World in the foyer, visitors can experience the history of the Porsche brand and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Autograph sessions with the stars plus “have-a-go-yourself” activities for young and old are once again a part of the attractive programme of side events. A treat for the senses is promised by the Stuttgart Ballet’s performance as the world-famous company will get the spectators in the mood for the final by dancing on Centre Court.
“For me, it’s extremely important that we, alongside tennis of the highest class, offer our visitors a highly diverse programme of side events for the whole family,” says Markus Günthardt. “Through the attractive range of off-court activities, we want to create the conditions in which our guests are more than happy to spend a lot of time here. And with the Racket Sports World, we want to embrace all those interested in racket sports.”
For the first time, a piece of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will be transported to downtown Stuttgart. Right up until the start of the tournament, there is an activity zone in the Porsche Brand Store and in the Dorotheen Quartier. The outdoor space will include a bar with music from Thursday to Saturday.
Multi-media experience
All those not able to watch the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix live in the Porsche Arena do not have to miss a single rally. The tournament will be televised live in Germany by Eurosport, Tennis Channel and Porsche Tennis TV. The latter’s transmissions on the porsche-tennis.com tournament website will be enhanced by the action on the practice courts and a look behind the scenes. Broadcasting will begin at mid-day on Monday. The two singles semifinals will take place on Saturday at 2.00 pm and 4.00 pm, the final will commence on Sunday at 1.00 pm (all times are local CEST). All broadcasting times are to be found below and in the TV schedule on the tournament website. Internationally, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix can be viewed in over 100 countries.
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix begins on Saturday, 15 April with the first round of qualifying. The final will take place on 23 April. Porsche Team Germany will take on Brazil in the Billie Jean King Cup on 14 and 15 June. The tie will be played on Centre Court in the Porsche Arena.
Ticket sales
Regular and VIP tickets for the 46th Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the Porsche Arena from 15 to 23 April are available at Easy Ticket Service – in Internet at www.easyticket.de or by calling +49 711 / 2 55 55 55. Further information about the tournament can be found at www.porsche-tennis.com.
The live TV and streaming times in Germany
| Day of play | Eurosport | Tennis Channel (Stream)* |
Porsche Tennis TV (Stream) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying 15.4. and 16.4. |
from 11:00 | ||
| Monday, 17.4. | from 15:30 2 matches |
from 12:00 | from 15:30 2 matches |
| Tuesday, 18.4. | from 17:00 2 matches |
from 12:00 | from 12:00 ** 5 matches |
| Wednesday, 19.4. | from 17:00 2 matches |
from 12:00 | from 12:00 ** 5 matches |
| Thursda, 20.4. | from 17:00 2 matches |
from 12:00 | from 12:00 ** 5 matches |
| Friday, 21.4. | from 15:30 2 matches |
from 12:00 | from 12:30 all 4 quarterfinals |
| Saturday, 22.4. | 14:00 1st semifinal 16:00 2nd semifinal |
from 12:00 semifinals – doubles and singles |
14:00 1st semifinal 16:00 2nd semifinal |
| Sunday, 23.4. | 13:00 final | from 13:00 finals – singles and doubles |
13:00 final |
Subject to change
* Tennis Channel will televise every singles and doubles match from Monday
** from the 3rd match onwards with a German commentary
