Top seed Iga Swiatek clinches first Madrid Open title in gritty battle against Aryna Sabalenka

World number one Iga Swiatek triumphed over Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling Madrid Open final on Saturday, winning 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) in a match that was a rematch of last year’s final. This victory marked Swiatek’s first win at this WTA 1000 claycourt event and added the 20th title to her career while preventing Sabalenka from claiming her third Madrid title.

The match, lasting three hours and 11 minutes, was the season’s first face-off between the top two ranked women in tennis and did not disappoint, becoming their longest meeting to date.

Swiatek’s win improved her head-to-head record against Sabalenka to 7-3. This victory also completed Swiatek’s collection of major claycourt titles, adding the only one that had eluded her thus far.

During the trophy presentation, Swiatek acknowledged her opponent, “Aryna, to many more finals! It’s always a challenge playing you. Thanks for always motivating me and forcing me to be a better player.”

Sabalenka started strong, utilizing her powerful forehand to dominate early play and win the crowd’s support, yet she struggled to convert break opportunities against Swiatek. Swiatek, taking a more strategic approach, broke Sabalenka at 5-5 and then held serve to take the first set after a netcord interaction set up a simple shot for victory.

In the second set, Sabalenka increased her intensity, quickly going up 2-0. Despite a shaky moment with her first double fault, she managed to hold off Swiatek’s challenge and eventually sealed the set with a forehand winner to push the match to a final set.

The third set saw both players exchanging breaks, with the match intensity showing no signs of waning. Facing championship points, Swiatek remained composed, saving two crucial match points to push the game into a tiebreak.

Swiatek faced and overcame a lost match point of her own in the tiebreak, finally clinching the win on her second chance when Sabalenka sent a return long. The victory left Swiatek visibly relieved and exhausted on the court.

Reflecting on the intense match duration, Sabalenka expressed hopes for a quicker recovery, “I tried to make this match as long as possible… Hopefully next year it goes to me,” she said. “Three hours, that’s a long one! Hopefully we recover fast for the next tournament.”