MADRID (AP) — Iga Swiatek avenged her loss last year in the final to Aryna Sabalenka and won the Madrid Open on Saturday after a third-set tiebreaker.
The Pole, first in the ranking, beat the Belarusian, second, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7) to win her third title of the season. Swiatek, 22, became the youngest player to reach 20 career titles since Caroline Wozniacki, who reached the milestone in 2012.
Swiatek faced two match points when she was struggling with her serve at 5-6 in the third set. But he held serve to force the tiebreak, where he raised a third match point.
She dropped to the clay after Sabalenka hit a long shot that ended the match that lasted 3 hours, 11 minutes, the longest final so far in the 2024 WTA season. Each player broke the serve five times.
“Who’s to say women’s tennis is boring now?” Swiatek said. “Congratulations also to Aryna because we both made a great effort today”
The Pole will seek her fourth French Open championship later in the month as the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka bested Swiatek last year in Madrid in three sets for her first victory over her rival on clay. The two-time Australian Open winner was seeking her record third title in Madrid.
“I had my opportunities,” Sabalenka said. “I couldn’t say I missed them. It was just a great game from her. I think that’s the lesson I need to learn.”
Madrid was the only tournament in the WTA 500 category or higher on clay in Europe that Swiatek had not conquered. Now her collection is complete. She improved her head-to-head record with Sabalenka to 7-3.
This Sunday, Andrey Rublev faces Felix Auger-Aliassime in the men’s final.
