World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka showcased her continued dominance at the Mutua Madrid Open by defeating No. 17 seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-5 in their semifinal clash on Thursday night at the Caja Magica.
Sabalenka secured the victory in 1 hour and 32 minutes, bringing an end to Svitolina`s perfect clay-court record for the year. Svitolina had entered the match with a flawless 9-0 (18-0 in sets) record on clay at WTA events in 2025, but Sabalenka ended her impressive run.
The Final Showdown:
The final on Saturday, at the first WTA 1000 clay-court event of the season, will feature Sabalenka taking on No. 4 seed Coco Gauff. Earlier on Thursday, Gauff had convincingly beaten defending champion Iga Swiatek with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 scoreline in just 64 minutes.
Gauff holds a slight edge in their previous encounters, leading the head-to-head 5-4. Their only prior meeting on clay was in Rome in 2021, which Gauff won. Gauff also emerged victorious in their most recent match at the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Madrid Dominance and Season Wins:
Sabalenka has been exceptionally strong at the Mutua Madrid Open over the past decade. Her lifetime record at the tournament now stands at 22-4, including titles in 2021 and 2023, and reaching the final again last year.
Furthermore, Sabalenka has solidified her position as the leading player on tour in terms of match wins this year. Her win against Svitolina made her the first player to reach 30 main-draw victories at WTA events in 2025.
Key Moments of the Match:
In the final match on Court Manolo Santana, Sabalenka initially built a 4-1 lead in the first set. However, Svitolina fought back, hitting a powerful crosscourt backhand return to break serve and narrow the gap to 4-3.
Despite the break back, Svitolina faced three break points in her next service game. She double-faulted on the third, handing the advantage straight back to Sabalenka.
Serving for the first set at 5-3, Sabalenka delivered strong serves and a backhand winner to save three break points. She then hit her fourth ace to reach set point and sealed the set with another unreturnable serve.
When Sabalenka reached 5-3 in the second set, it seemed her victory was imminent. Although she faced challenges in some of her service games, the World No. 1 had consistently found ways to escape trouble.
However, serving for the match at 5-4, she faltered, allowing Svitolina to break back and level the score. Svitolina`s comeback was brief, as Sabalenka immediately responded by hitting a forceful backhand to break again, taking a 6-5 lead.
Serving for the match for the second time, Sabalenka avoided repeating her earlier mistake. The top seed quickly reached 40-0 and converted her second match point with a final backhand that forced an error from Svitolina.
Throughout the match, Sabalenka demonstrated remarkable composure under pressure, saving five out of seven break points against Svitolina. Her total of 39 break points saved at this event is the highest by any player in a single WTA tournament this season, highlighting her defensive strength.
Rupert Caldwell