- MADRID — World number one Aryna Sabalenka claimed her third Madrid Open title
after defeating American Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the summit clash.
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- This marks Sabalenka's milestone 20th career WTA Tour
singles title. It is her tour-leading third title of the year in Madrid, after
hoisting the trophy at Brisbane and the previous WTA 1000 event, Miami.
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- She is now the second player in history to etch her name
into the trophy at Madrid’s WTA 1000 three times (2025, 2021 and 2023) after
Petra Kvitova (2011, 2015 and 2018).
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- The 26-year-old is just the second player to win Miami and
Madrid in the same season, joining Serena Williams in 2013.
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- Sabalenka steamrolled her way through the opening games,
thumping her forehand, hitting bomb after bomb from the baseline and completely
overwhelming a Gauff who was struggling for solutions and took the first set
6-3.
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- Sabalenka staved off a second-set charge by Gauff, who was
seeking her first title of the year and a possible return to the World No. 2
ranking. Sabalenka erased a set point at 5-4 on her way to a 1-hour and
39-minute victory.
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- Following her Madrid title run, no.1 ranked Sabalenka will
become only the third woman to amass more than 11,000 ranking points and is
nearly 4,000 ahead of No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the WTA Rankings. That gap is likely
to grow. With Swiatek defending titles in Rome and Paris, she’ll also be
defending 3,000 points across the next month. And because Sabalenka missed
Wimbledon last year, this year’s result will be a ranking points windfall, WTA
reports.
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