World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka faced a stern test from her former doubles partner, 28th seed Elise Mertens, during their match at the Mutua Madrid Open. Despite dropping the first set, Sabalenka recovered strongly to secure her place in the fourth round with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Sabalenka entered the encounter with a significant head-to-head advantage over Mertens, holding a 9-2 record which included eight consecutive wins stretching back to 2018. Their recent history was particularly one-sided, highlighted by a 6-4, 6-1 win for Sabalenka just last week in the Stuttgart quarterfinals. Furthermore, Sabalenka had won 14 consecutive sets against the Belgian prior to this match (15 if including a retirement in 2021).
Their twelfth meeting initially appeared set to follow this trend, with Sabalenka dominating the opening points. However, after falling behind 2-0 in the first set, Mertens staged a strong comeback, winning six of the next seven games to surprisingly take the set. This marked the first time Mertens had claimed a set against Sabalenka since their match in Zhuhai in 2019.
As a two-time champion in Madrid, Sabalenka quickly rediscovered her form and momentum. Increasing her power and accuracy, she dominated the remainder of the match, winning twelve of the final fifteen games. This performance ensured her progression to the Round of 16 at the Madrid Open for the fourth time in her career. Her next opponent will be the winner of the match between Peyton Stearns and qualifier Rebeka Masarova.
