The Mutua Madrid Open concluded with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka claiming her third singles title, solidifying her dominance at the event and extending her lead in the WTA Rankings.
This victory maintains Sabalenka`s pattern of winning the first WTA 1000 clay-court tournament of the season in odd-numbered years, following her triumphs in 2021 and 2023.
With this win, the top seed is now tied with Petra Kvitova for the most Madrid Open championships. Sabalenka expressed her gratitude for the support, stating it provided extra energy and power to compete, and that seeing fan posters felt like a dream, making playing in front of the crowd enjoyable.
Here are some additional highlights from the memorable two weeks in the Spanish capital:
Key Statistics
- Aryna Sabalenka is only the second player since 2009 (when WTA 1000 Madrid was added) to win both the Miami Open and the Madrid Open in the same season. Serena Williams was the first, achieving this in 2013.
- Sabalenka leads the tour with 31 match wins this year, significantly ahead of second-placed Jessica Pegula (27) who was the leader before Madrid.
- She saved 40 break points during the tournament, a feat not seen at a WTA 1000 event since Maria Sakkari saved 42 in Guadalajara in 2022.
- Coco Gauff reached her first WTA 1000 clay-court final in Madrid. She is just the fourth American woman to reach a WTA 1000 clay final since 2009, joining Serena Williams, Madison Keys, and Jessica Pegula.
- World No. 56 Moyuka Uchijima had a breakout performance, reaching the quarterfinals. This marks more WTA Tour quarterfinals for her in the last three weeks (Rouen, Madrid) than in her entire previous career.
Social Scene
Beyond the courts, Sabalenka also garnered attention on social media.
She notably smiled after a racquet slip during her final match.
Other players were seen practicing their Spanish place-name pronunciation.
Ons Jabeur, Demi Schuurs, and others visited Real Madrid City.
Noteworthy Performances
Beyond the champion, several players had impressive runs:
Coco Gauff: Reached her first clay final since Roland Garros 2022 after defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek handily. She has a chance to improve her ranking in the coming weeks.
Elina Svitolina: Continued her excellent clay season with nine consecutive wins and an 18-0 set record before falling to Sabalenka in the semifinals.
Marta Kostyuk: Also reached the quarterfinals and pushed Sabalenka to two tiebreak sets in their match.
Moyuka Uchijima: The tournament`s surprise, achieving her first two Top 25 victories, including an upset win over Jessica Pegula, en route to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Sorana Cirstea and Anna Kalinskaya: In their first tournament together, they won the doubles title, defeating the top seeds in the first round and prevailing over Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens in the final.
Naomi Osaka: Secured her first title since 2021 by winning the WTA 125 event in Saint Malo as a wildcard.
Dalma Galfi: Won the WTA 125 title in Vic, extending her winning streak to 10 matches after winning the Oeiras title two weeks prior.
Shot of the Tournament
Elisabetta Cocciaretto executed an extraordinary passing shot against Yuliia Starodubtseva in the second round.
Looking Ahead
The clay-court swing continues with the Internazionali BNL d`Italia in Rome.
Can Aryna Sabalenka win her first title in Rome, or will Iga Swiatek claim her fourth championship there? The main draw competition starts on Tuesday, May 6.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth