Aryna Sabalenka fights previous feisty Coco Gauff to assert third Madrid Open title

No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka beat No. 4 Coco Gauff in straight units to win her record-tying third Madrid Open and twentieth profession title on Saturday.

Sabalenka powered by the primary set and edged the American in a tiebreaker for 6-3, 7-6 (3) on the Caja Mgica clay court docket.

Sabalenka added to titles in Madrid in 2021 and 2023 and equaled Petra Kvitova’s match report. It was additionally Sabalenka’s tour-leading third title of the 12 months after Brisbane and Miami. She additionally pulled degree with Gauff on head-to-head with 5 wins apiece.

Gauff may have risen to No. 2 with a victory. The 2023 U.S. Open champion misplaced just one set this week till the ultimate. Gauff’s nice report in finals slipped to 9 wins in 11.

Sabalenka battered Gauff together with her drive early on, profitable 17 consecutive factors throughout one part for a 4-1 begin. When Gauff discovered her weak spot by spreading her photographs round, the previous champion dug in to drive a second-set tiebreaker and crush any probability of a comeback.

Sabalenka missed a championship level on a break probability within the second set, recalling her failure to transform three championship factors in a loss to Iga Swiatek in final 12 months’s remaining. After yelling at herself for her missed alternative, the three-time Grand Slam winner shook off her demons, settled down and completed off her tour-high thirty first win of 2025.

When Gauff’s remaining shot hit the online, Sabalenka thrust her arms into the air.

“It was a extremely robust match,” Sabalenka mentioned. “On the finish of the second set it was actually intense and I used to be very emotional. I’m completely happy I used to be in a position to deal with my feelings.”

Within the males’s remaining on Sunday, Casper Ruud performs Jack Draper.