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Aryna Sabalenka marked her third Open Madrid title after the world n. 1 concluded Coco Gauff’s hopes with a dramatic victory on Saturday.
In an electrifying meeting on La Caja Magica, high -level Sabalenka won 17 points in a row at the beginning of the competition, but had to save a set point in the second set.
In the end he achieved a success 6-3 7-6 (7-3) on the American to put an end to his hopes to claim his tenth title in 11 finals.
Sabalenka, who claimed the title in 2021 and 2023 and was the second classified by Iga Swiatek in 2024, Lega Petra Kvitova (2011, 2015, 2018) for the most Madrid titles won.
“I am super happy. Today it was not an easy game and I’m so happy to get this trophy,” Sky Sports Tennis said. “Before the game, I saw that they had a new trophy and I was like, ‘I need it, I want to win this trophy’, and I am super happy.
“The game was going really well to that initial break in the second set and then I was just trying to go back to the game. I found my rhythm on the service and then I was just trying to put more pressure on his service.
A dominant Sabalenka, who turns 27, won four consecutive games without granting a point to build an advantage of 4-1 in the first set. Although the former Us Open Gauff champion fought with a break to take 4-2, the Belarusian has ensured the set with another break.
The American regained his composure and broke the service to drive 2-1 in the second.
Gauff, who had won five of their previous nine meetings, served for the 5-4 set, but Sabalenka finally had the fifth possibility of breaking, saving a set point and seeing the fun side when he dropped the racket in the middle of an event.
Gauff said: “I would like to congratulate Aryna for an incredible tournament. You are always difficult to deal with. Congratulations to your team. You are always going well, but the last four consecutive finals, I think. Congratulations for all the success you have had.”
The Belarusian now has an advantage of over 4,000 points on his rival of stuttering in the rankings, even if the result means that Iga Swiatek remains in front of Gauffe at n. 2.
Sabalenka adds the crown of Madrid to the titles of Miami and Brisbane, with her superb coherence that sees her reach the final in six of the eight tournaments that has played so far in 2025.
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Naomi Broady, speaking of Sky Sports Tennis: “Sabalenka who leads in almost every single area as it was after the first set, but Gauff passed it in the winners in the end. The lower leg is where the eyes are designed. The pause points have won, only four of 13 for Sabalenka. I think it is an area that can look to improve, specifically against Coco Gauff.”
Annabel Croft, speaking of Sky Sports Tennis: “It really deserved it. It was not an excellent start from Coco Gauff and I thought of a phase that would have been a whitewashing actually and then suddenly released.
“There were some dramatic moments with set point and match point and then in a tie, but I must say that Sabalenka played the best tennis.”
Colin Fleming added: “I was gutted for Coco Gauff because I thought it was marginally the best player for a good part of the second set.
“When the pressure is on, it is when your technique is really tested and unfortunately there were three double defects in that game at 5-4, so at 5-5 the right went. Then it revealed from there.”
Look at the ATP and WTA tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with Now and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access over 50 % more sports in live this year without additional costs. Find out more here. [Sky Sport]
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