Following her victory, as the delighted spectators at La Caja Magic rose to applaud, Aryna Sabalenka didn`t dramatically fall to the red clay, scream, or pump her fists. Instead, she simply raised her arms in a `V` shape, signaling victory.
After that thoroughly professional 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over Coco Gauff on Saturday, a composed Sabalenka blew kisses to the camera, walked to her changeover chair, grabbed a camera, and took a picture of her team. This win marked her third Mutua Madrid Open title, placing her in esteemed company alongside record holders Petra Kvitova, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
While winning is never guaranteed, in Sabalenka`s mindset, this triumph was anticipated. Her sheer will and determination were evident in the decisive moments. This earned confidence stems from the fact that, by an unusually large margin, she stands as the premier player in the sport today.
As of Monday, the World No. 1 will join an exclusive group of only three women to accumulate over 11,000 ranking points, holding a substantial lead of nearly 4,000 points over World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the PIF WTA Rankings. This considerable gap is expected to widen further. Swiatek faces the task of defending 3,000 points from her Rome and Paris titles next month, whereas Sabalenka, having missed Wimbledon last year, is set to gain a significant number of ranking points from her performance there this season.
In the PIF Race to the WTA Finals held in Riyadh, Sabalenka is more than 1,600 points ahead of No. 2 Madison Keys. She is currently the only player on the Hologic WTA Tour with three titles this year – securing wins in Brisbane, Miami, and Madrid – showcasing her adaptability by winning consecutive WTA 1000 tournaments on vastly different surfaces. Her 31 match victories also lead all Hologic WTA Tour players.
This recent match marked the tenth time Gauff and Sabalenka have faced each other over the past six years. Gauff was asked about how Sabalenka`s game has improved during this period.“I feel like she just got a lot better in everything,” Gauff commented. “I think she just probably is more confident, so that’s why the consistent results are happening.”
Upon reviewing her recent trajectory, it appears that the catalyst for this impressive run of form, perhaps surprisingly, was a previous defeat.
Rupert Caldwell