Kerber, other top tennis players to compete at Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in April

MANILA: The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will feature a world-class field once again this year. Eight weeks before the 45th edition of the long-landing event begins, three current top 10 players — Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic), Paula Badosa (Spain), and Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) – have announced their participation. Porsche Brand Ambassador  Angelique Kerber is also delighted to compete in front of the enthusiastic crowd for the exciting main prize — a Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo.

In a statement, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Tournament Director Markus Günthardt said, “The fact that such top players have already confirmed they will be coming is a fantastic prospect for our spectators and great motivation for the whole team. I’m however sure that, up until the official entry deadline on 21 March, a few more stars will be adding their names to the list. Our preparations are going according to plan and we’re all really looking forward to again being able to welcome as many tennis fans as possible to the Porsche Arena.”

The provisional entry list is headed by Pliskova.  In 2018, the Czech won in the Porsche Arena and is presently ranked No. 4 in the world. She finished runner-up at Wimbledon in 2021 and also reached finals in Rome and Montreal.  Badosa, the best up-and-coming player in 2021, has risen to No. 5 in the world rankings after victories in Indian Wells and Belgrade, as well as a semifinal appearance at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. The Spaniard kicked off the 2022 tennis season with a victory in Sydney. Kontaveit has also soared to the top of the world rankings. The Estonian, who is presently ranked No. 6, won in Moscow, Cleveland, Ostrava, and Cluj-Napoca in 2021, and her winning streak qualified her for the WTA Finals at the last minute. The runner-up in the 2019 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix has already bagged a title this season, winning the Porsche-sponsored tournament in St. Petersburg.

One player who has a special connection to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is Kerber. "The tournament means a lot to me," says the Porsche Brand Ambassador, who had a spectacular recovery in 2021 by winning the Porsche-sponsored Bad Homburg Open and reaching the Wimbledon and Cincinnati semifinals after a rough start to the season. In 2015 and 2016, she won in the Porsche Arena. It is not just the happy memories of past triumphs that make her happy: “The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a very special tournament and the players love coming to Stuttgart. They simply feel at home here and I so look forward every year to returning to the Porsche Arena.”

Since 1978, Porsche has been supporting the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, which it has organized since 2002. Since 2006, the competition in Porsche Arena has been voted the players' favorite event in its category. Porsche was the title sponsor of the "Porsche Race to the WTA Finals," the official qualifying ranking for the WTA Finals, in 2021, as part of its global collaboration with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). The WTA; the season-ending WTA Finals; the WTA tournaments in France, Russia, Germany, USA, and Austria; and the two events in Romania were all sponsored by the German sports car manufacturer. Porsche is kicking off the 2022 tennis season by hosting matches in Russia and France.  As a premium partner of the Deutsche Tennis Bund (DTB – German Tennis Association), the company supports Porsche Team Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup (previously the Fed Cup) and promotes up-and-coming players in the Porsche Talent Team and Porsche Junior Team. Kerber and Maria Sharapova give Porsche a face in tennis as brand ambassadors.

Photos from Porsche

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