The Operating Tournament Director of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and her team are not taking the easy way out. “We make every effort to decide who we want to support with a wild card,” says Anke Huber. “As a tournament in Germany, of course we want to do justice to the responsibility we have for German women’s tennis.”
Thanks to the wildcards, Tatjana Maria and Laura Siegemund will be in the main draw of the 47th Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist and 2017 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix winner are currently the most successful German players. Shortly before that, on April 12 and 13, he will be in Billie Jean King Cup action for Porsche Team Germany against Brazil. The tie in Sao Paulo will decide which team goes to the finals of the most important team event in women’s tennis.
βSo they don’t have a chance to get into the main draw here through the qualifiers. That’s why we support them with wildcards,” says Anke Huber. “One of our concerns is that Porsche Team Germany can face the difficult away match with the best players.”
Top 20 wild cards for Angelique Kerber and Emma Raducanu
Porsche brand ambassadors and Grand Slam champions Angelique Kerber and Emma Raducanu have been awarded Top 20 wild cards which are awarded only according to criteria set by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Angelique Kerber is the most successful German player in the last ten years and has won the Grand Slam titles in Melbourne, Wimbledon and New York. Britain’s Emma Raducanu impressively won the 2021 US Open as a qualifier and is considered one of the most exciting players on Tour.
Ella Seidel and Nastasja Schunk will compete in the qualifiers of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix which traditionally has a very strong field. The two young Porsche Talent Team contenders both have wildcards. Ella Seidel advanced to January’s Australian Open for her first career Grand Slam. Nastasja Schunk celebrated her biggest success when she reached the 2021 Wimbledon junior final. She has also appeared for Porsche Team Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup. If Ella Seidel wins direct entry, then Noma Noha Akugue, a member of the Porsche Talent Team, will replace her.
“For us, it is important to give our up-and-coming players the opportunity to compete with the world’s best in our tournament and thus improve further,” said Anke Huber. “We’ve always had good experiences with politics in the past.”
Attractive double shows are the first highlight on Monday
Right at the start of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, visitors will enjoy a highlight consisting of sports and entertainment. In an entertaining mixed tournament, stars from various sports will compete against each other on the Porsche Arena’s Center Court on Monday, April 15 at 5.00 pm. Tennis stars at the premiere of the new format will be Porsche ambassador and Grand Slam winner Emma Raducanu and former world number one German player Andrea Petkovic. They will be joined by youngsters from the German Tennis Association. Their dual partners will be well-known professionals from VfB Stuttgart (soccer), MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (basketball) and Bietigheim-Bissingen Steelers (ice hockey) β all partner clubs of the Porsche ‘Turbo for Talents’ initiative. For years, the sports car manufacturer has supported and promoted the training of young people in sports clubs in places where the company is based.
Ticket sales
Tickets for the 47th Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at the Porsche Arena from 13 to 21 April 2024 are available via the official www.porsche-tennis.com tournament website or on the Easy Ticket service β on the Internet at www.easyticket.de or by calling +49 711 / 2 55 55 55. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are almost sold-out. Together with partner FILA, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will draw for a surprise package for everyone who buys tickets over the Easter weekend from Friday 29 March to Easter Monday 1 April 2024.
Porsche in tennis
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is ββthe flagship of Porsche’s global involvement in women’s tennis. First played in Filderstadt in 1978, Stuttgart’s long-running tournament has been held in the city’s Porsche Arena since 2006. It represents tradition and innovation, just like the Porsche brand. As the most loyal sponsor of international women’s tennis, Porsche has accompanied the WTA’s oldest indoor event since the beginning. Porsche has additionally supported international women’s tennis for years. Together with its subsidiaries, the sports car manufacturer will be the automotive partner of the WTA tournaments in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and Bastad (Sweden) until today. Angelique Kerber and Emma Raducanu give Porsche a face in tennis as Brand Ambassadors. Jule Niemeier, Maria Sakkari, Karolina Muchova, Anett Kontaveit and Iga Swiatek are additionally “Friends of the Brand” in their countries. As a leading partner of the “Deutsche Tennis Bund” (DTB β German Tennis Association), the company has supported Porsche Team Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup since 2012 and promotes up-and-coming players to the Porsche Talent Team and the Porsche Junior Team.