Donna Vekic once again struggled with injuries as her debut at the Stuttgart Open ended in a painful defeat marked by tears. The World No. 20 left the court heartbroken after falling to her compatriot Jana Fett, ranked No. 127 and coming from the qualifying rounds, 7-6(2), 6-4.
The 29-year-old’s career has often been hindered by physical issues, to the point that she once considered early retirement, as she herself admitted. Although she seemed to leave those problems behind in the past year, 2025 hasn’t been kind to her so far, with a disappointing 5–10 record.
Vekic initially took control of the match, leading 4–1 in the first set, but Fett gradually found her rhythm. The 2024 silver medallist couldn't maintain the lead, and Fett stormed back, dominating the tiebreak.
The second set became a rollercoaster, with multiple breaks of serve. When Fett led 2–1 and it was Vekic’s turn to serve, the former Wimbledon semifinalist called for medical attention. She was visibly emotional and crying during the changeover while doctors checked her vitals.
Despite the emotional moment, Vekic returned to the court but suffered two consecutive breaks, giving Fett a 5–1 lead. The Croatian No. 20 showed some resistance late in the set, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the upset as Fett closed the match 7-6(2), 6-4.
This was Vekic’s first match on clay since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she delivered one of the best performances of her career to reach the final – defeating second seed Coco Gauff and former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu along the way. However, she lost the gold medal match to Zheng Qinwen.
Meanwhile, qualifier Jana Fett took a well-deserved victory, despite Vekic's physical problems. She will face world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the second round, who is making her clay-court debut this season.
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