Already crowned on Madrid clay in 2021, the Belarusian knocked down Iga Swiatek in three sets on Saturday and established herself as her number 1 rival three weeks from Roland-Garros.
It had been nine years since the world numbers 1 and 2 had not met in the final of a WTA 1000, and the shock has kept all its promises. In a high-intensity match, and for 2 hours and 27 minutes, world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka pushed No. 1 Iga Swiatek to her limits, and the two-time Roland-Garros winner had to give in to the Belarusian in the WTA final. Madrid 1000, Saturday May 6 (6-3, 3-6, 6-3). While the Polish presented herself as the favorite on clay, her favorite surface, she found herself a strong opponent with Sabalenka, who is having the best season of her career and will approach Roland-Garros as the number outsider. 1.
Entering the court with the status of outsider, the Belarusian was determined to take revenge after his defeat in the final in Stuttgart at the end of April (6-3, 6-4). During the first set, she dictated the game from her baseline, preventing the world number 1 from going forward. With a percentage of first serves too low (52%) but after saving three break points, Iga Swiatek finally cracked on the fourth and dropped the first set.
Leaving the court to get her ideas back in place, the Polish reacted from the start of this 2nd act by breaking from the start. A tone above, she pocketed the second set by responding present in the hot moments, with in particular five break points saved.
Still under pressure, the world number 1, on the other hand, started the third set much less, conceding the first three games. But in yet another twist, Iga Swiatek managed to come back to 3-3, ensuring a suspenseful end to the match for the conquered public of the Manolo Santana stadium. And while the two players alternated in turn winning three consecutive games since the first set, the trend was again reversed in favor of the Belarusian, who ended up winning on her fourth match point.
A rivalry that brings stability to women’s tennis
With this victory, Aryna Sabalenka is titled for the second time in Madrid after her victory in 2021. Iga Swiatek, yet a clay court specialist, will still have to wait to win the Spanish WTA 1000. The boss of the ocher surface found herself a strong opponent, she who had beaten Sabalenka in their last three confrontations on earth. Aryna Sabalenka had never even managed to pocket a set. “Before, it was really difficult to play against her because I didn’t have many weapons. I had my will and that was it.explained the Belarusian before the final in Madrid. I solved my service problems and realized that I could play well against her, that I could beat her. It gives me a different mentality.”
In the Spanish capital, Aryna Sabalenka was playing her fifth final in 2023, for what is already her most prolific season. Her newfound rivalry with Iga Swiatek provides some stability for women’s tennis, and it’s as a Grand Slam winner (the Australian Open in January) and a WTA 1000 on clay that she will appear at Roland-Garros, in total confidence, at the end of May.
