Jelena Ostapenko is starting to show shades of the form that saw her crowned French Open champion eight years ago with the Latvian knocking over the top two players in the world en route to winning the Stuttgart Open title on Monday.
Ostapenko became the first woman to beat the world number one and number two in the same claycourt event since Serena Williams at Madrid in 2012 by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final and Iga Swiatek in the quarters.
Her ninth tour-level title, and just her second on clay, lifted Ostapenko six places in the world rankings to 18th, marking her out as a dark horse ahead of Roland Garros, which begins on May 25.
“Honestly, I didn’t tell anyone, but I felt confident since the first day. I had a strange feeling in a good way,” she told reporters in Stuttgart.
“When I came here, I felt like something’s going to happen this week. I pretty much felt that I can win this tournament.
“I think I’m improving day by day and I’m playing better and better. I think I deserve it.”
Ostapenko, who also beat Swiatek on the way to the Doha final in February before losing to Amanda Anisimova, has failed to reach a Grand Slam final since her Roland Garros breakthrough in 2017.
However, she said playing without the burden of expectation had worked wonders for her this season.
“I had enough pressure in my career,” Ostapenko told the WTA website. “I didn’t feel it even though it was the final. In my mind, I was just playing a match.”
Ostapenko will be in action in Madrid this week and is also dreaming of another deep run in Paris.
“Obviously I can play well on this surface,” she added.
“I will take it match by match, but anything can happen.”
Ostapenko on upward trajectory as clay season gains momentum
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Ostapenko on upward trajectory as clay season gains momentum
- Her ninth tour-level title, and just her second on clay, lifted Ostapenko six places in the world rankings to 18th, marking her out as a dark horse ahead of Roland Garros, which begins on May 25
Al-Attiyah claims victory at 2026 Hail Baja international rally
HAIL: The Hail Baja Toyota International Rally 2026 ended on Saturday with Nasser Al-Attiyah claiming overall victory, completing the event in a total time of 4 hours, 6 minutes, 23 seconds. Yazeed Al-Rajhi finished second with 4:07:05, while Dania Akeel secured third place with 4:20:47.
The event was organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sport, the Hail Region Emirate and the Hail Region Development Authority, with Jameel Motorsport as official partner alongside the Saudi Motorsport Marshals Club.
The winners were crowned by Mansour Al-Mokbel, CEO of Saudi Motorsport Company, in the presence of Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, chairman of the Hail Region Development Authority board.
The ceremony followed the second and final stage of the rally, which was hosted in Baqaa and covered a total distance of 323 km, including 151 km of the timed special stage.
The event brought together 152 drivers and navigators from 26 nationalities, including 72 Saudis, with 93 vehicles competing across six categories.
Overall classification — Hail Baja Toyota International Rally 2026
FIA Ultimate Category
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar)
Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Saudi Arabia)
Dania Akeel (Saudi Arabia)
FIA Challenger Category
Yasir Bin Saiedan (Saudi Arabia)
Hamad Al-Wuhaibi (Oman)
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (Qatar)
FIA SSV Category
Fernando Alvarez (Argentina)
Mansour Al-Helai (UAE)
Erik van Loon (Netherlands)
FIA Stock Category
Majed Al-Thunayan (Saudi Arabia)
Abdullah Al-Shegawi (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Mashna Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
FIM Motorcycles Category
Alex McInnes (Great Britain)
Mohammed Al-Balooshi (UAE)
Sultan Al-Balooshi (UAE)
FIM Quad Bikes Category
Hani Al-Noumesi (Saudi Arabia)
Abdulaziz Al-Atwi (Saudi Arabia)
Ahmed Al-Jaber (Saudi Arabia)
Saudi Toyota Baja Championship
Ultimate Cars Category
Faris Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
Motab Al-Qnon (Saudi Arabia)
Khalaf Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
SSV Category
Prince Sultan bin Turki bin Sultan (Saudi Arabia)
Mashael Al-Huwaish (Saudi Arabia)
Abdulmoeen Al-Shawaf (Saudi Arabia)
Stock Category
Mohammed Al-Asiri (Saudi Arabia)
Salem Al-Quraini (Saudi Arabia)
Hatem Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
The Hail Baja international rally is considered one of the region’s premier motorsport events. It has been a key fixture on the desert rally calendar for more than two decades, offering high standards and an exciting sporting experience for both competitors and spectators. The rally also holds an important position on the calendars of several regional and international championships, reinforcing its status as one of the standout cross-country rallies in the region and reflecting Saudi Arabia’s growing reputation as a global motorsport destination.
