Out of the 2,640 Hologic WTA Tour matches played during the 2024 season, the final of the Mutua Madrid Open arguably stands out as the finest. This memorable contest pitted the world`s top two players against each other, athletes who have collectively dominated the No. 1 ranking for over three consecutive years.
Given the dramatic outcome, it is perhaps unsurprising that this “titanic tilt” is recalled quite differently by the participants themselves.
“Honestly,” Iga Swiatek commented when recently asked about the match, “I just think about it from time to time, but not in a really specific way.”
Aryna Sabalenka offered a similar perspective:
“Honestly, I didn`t really think about it that much until this moment.”
Ultimately, it was Swiatek who clinched the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open title in a grueling encounter. She saved three match points before securing a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) victory that lasted 3 hours and 11 minutes. This was the longest final of the preceding season and one of only two won by a player who successfully fought off match points, a testament to its exceptional intensity and duration.
Despite the recent classic, a third consecutive Madrid final between these fierce rivals did not materialize this year. Sabalenka held up her end, advancing to the final with a solid 6-3, 7-5 semifinal win over Elina Svitolina. However, Swiatek`s path was halted in her semifinal, where she was defeated convincingly, 6-1, 6-1, by the No. 4 seed, Coco Gauff.
The specific environmental factors at Madrid`s La Caja Magica often contribute to a more level playing field than traditional clay courts. Iga Swiatek, a four-time Roland Garros champion, is renowned for her skill on slow red clay. Yet, Madrid`s altitude results in thinner air, accelerating the ball`s speed. This effect slightly diminishes Swiatek`s natural advantage on clay while simultaneously boosting Sabalenka`s powerful groundstrokes.
It is telling that Aryna Sabalenka`s only two career clay court titles before this match were won in Madrid – in 2021 and again in 2023, the latter victory coming at Swiatek`s expense in the final. Sabalenka has established a strong record in the Spanish capital, winning 22 of her last 24 matches there.
Heading into the 2024 final, the Madrid title was the sole significant European clay tournament that had eluded Swiatek, despite her dominant run from 2020 to 2023 with multiple triumphs in Paris, Rome, and Stuttgart. Sabalenka, meanwhile, was aiming to tie Petra Kvitova’s record of three Madrid titles. Their head-to-head record favored Swiatek at 7-2 before the match, with Swiatek having won their last seven meetings since that 2023 Madrid loss.
After the first two sets were split, the third set reached a critical juncture just before the tiebreak. With Swiatek serving at 5-6, Sabalenka earned two match point opportunities.
During that tense moment, Swiatek drew inspiration from Rafael Nadal’s remarkable comeback from two sets down against Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final.
“I remember exactly when he was playing Medvedev in Australia, and it clicked for him,” Swiatek recalled of her idol. “That kind of gave me hope that maybe it will click, even after two hours.”
Swiatek ultimately saved a total of three match points in the final set. She secured the victory when a backhand from Sabalenka sailed long. Visibly overcome, Swiatek fell to the court, covering her face with her hands.
Addressing the ecstatic crowd after the match, Swiatek declared:
“Who is going to say that women’s tennis is boring now? Congrats as well to Aryna because we both had an amazing effort today.”
Reflecting later, Swiatek expressed surprise at her composure during the match`s most challenging phase.
“I was surprised that in the third set I felt the best mentally. Because, yeah, I actually felt like I needed to dig through for these two hours and it didn’t really work. I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, am I going to feel a little bit more loose soon?’ ”
Aryna Sabalenka’s reaction to the loss was notably stoic and pragmatic.
“I’m going to suffer for a day, and tomorrow I’m leaving to Rome, so I’m going to forget it quickly,” she told reporters. “It’s my birthday tomorrow. I hope I’m going to be in a good mood.”
She then added with a touch of dark humor:
“I’m going to be in a bad mood. I am 26 tomorrow. It sucks.”
The Madrid title was Swiatek’s ninth WTA 1000 victory and the 20th singles title of her career. This milestone made her the youngest player since Caroline Wozniacki, some twelve years earlier, to reach the mark of 20 career titles.
One year later, both finalists reflected on the quality and intensity of that memorable match.
“That match was, yeah, it was a ball-buster,” Sabalenka acknowledged. “That was amazing match, even though I lost it. This is like nothing I can be upset with, to be honest. I did my best there, and she just outplayed me.”
Swiatek agreed, highlighting the match`s high standard:
“It’s hard to relive it, because there are not many matches that are so intense and on such a high level. Sometimes the finals are actually a bit worse level than quarterfinals or semis, because the players are a little bit tight. But me and Aryna, we put on a great show, for sure. Also for the fans, I think it was great to watch it.”
