Aryna Sabalenka achieved a remarkable hat-trick at the Mutua Madrid Open. The World No. 1 secured her third Madrid title on Saturday, showcasing her continued dominance at the event and reinforcing her top position in the PIF WTA Rankings.
Sabalenka has maintained her pattern of winning the season`s inaugural WTA 1000 clay-court tournament in odd-numbered years, having previously lifted the champion`s trophy in 2021 and 2023.
With this victory, the top seed is now tied with Petra Kvitova for the highest number of Mutua Madrid Open titles, and it appears she has no intention of stopping here.
“This year it was just incredible,” Sabalenka commented on Saturday. “Every time I was out there, I felt all the support. It just gives me an extra energy and power to fight, no matter what. To see all those posters that kids are holding, it`s like a dream, and it`s so enjoyable playing in front of all the people and feeling the support. I think that`s the best thing in life.”
Here are some additional highlights from a memorable two weeks in the Spanish capital:
Stats Corner
- Since the Mutua Madrid Open joined the WTA 1000 calendar in 2009, Sabalenka is only the second player to win both Miami (the preceding WTA 1000 event) and Madrid in the same season. The only other player to accomplish this feat was Serena Williams in 2013.
- Sabalenka has now accumulated 31 tour-level wins this year, leading the field. She holds a significant lead over second-placed Jessica Pegula (27), who arrived in Madrid as the tour`s leader in match wins.
- Sabalenka successfully saved 40 break points throughout the Madrid tournament. She is the first player to save 40 or more break points at a single WTA 1000 event since Maria Sakkari at Guadalajara in 2022 (42).
- Coco Gauff reached her first clay-court WTA 1000 final in Madrid. She is only the fourth American woman to appear in a WTA 1000 final on clay since the format was introduced in 2009, joining Serena Williams (Madrid 2012-2013 and Rome 2013), Madison Keys (Rome 2016), and Jessica Pegula (Madrid 2022).
- World No. 56 Moyuka Uchijima had a breakthrough performance in Madrid, making it to the quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 event. Over the past three weeks (Rouen and Madrid), she has reached more WTA Tour quarterfinals than in her entire career prior to this recent run (one, Monastir in 2022).
Social Buzz
Beyond the courts, the tournament generated significant buzz on social media, capturing memorable moments from players both on and off the court.
Honor Roll
Beyond Sabalenka`s success, several other players delivered impressive performances:
- Coco Gauff: The American convincingly defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-1 to reach her first clay-court final since her loss to Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2022. Gauff has a strong chance to return to her career-high World No. 2 ranking in the coming weeks.
- Elina Svitolina: The Ukrainian`s clay-court season has been exceptional. She extended her winning streak on clay to nine consecutive victories at WTA Tour events (with an impressive 18-0 set record) before her perfect run was stopped by Sabalenka in the semifinals.
- Marta Kostyuk: She reached the Madrid quarterfinals alongside her compatriot Svitolina and provided tough competition for eventual champion Sabalenka, pushing her to two tiebreak sets in a high-quality quarterfinal match.
- Moyuka Uchijima: The surprise player of the fortnight, Uchijima earned her first two victories against Top 25 opponents en route to her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal, including a straight-sets upset of No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula.
- Sorana Cirstea and Anna Kalinskaya: Partnering for the first time in doubles, they upset the top seeds in the first round and proceeded to win the title, triumphing over Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens in a thrilling final.
- Naomi Osaka: The four-time Grand Slam champion returned to winning ways for the first time since 2021, claiming the WTA 125 Saint Malo title as a wild card entry.
- Dalma Galfi: The Hungarian won the WTA 125 Vic title this weekend and is currently on a 10-match winning streak, which began with her WTA 125 Oeiras title two weeks prior.
Hot Shot
Elisabetta Cocciaretto executed an unbelievable passing shot against a Yuliia Starodubtseva smash during their second-round match.
Next Up
The clay-court swing continues in Rome with the Internazionali BNL d`Italia tournament. Can Sabalenka maintain her momentum and capture her first Rome title? Or will Swiatek, who has been dominant in Rome recently, secure her fourth title at the Foro Italico? Main-draw play is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 6.
