Iga Świątek Wins Madrid Open Title in Epic 3-Set Battle Against Aryna Sabalenka
A rematch of the 2023 final saw Świątek prevail against the defending champion.
In a rematch of last year’s final, Iga Świątek of Poland, 22, defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, 25, to win the Women’s Singles title at the 2024 Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain (a WTA 1000 event). The score in the final was 7-5, 4-6 and 7-6 (9-7 tiebreaker) in favor of Świątek.
This was the tenth match Sabalenka and Świątek have played against each other on the WTA Tour - with Świątek leading 6-3 in their prior meetings. Notably, this was the fourth final they’ve contested - all of which have occurred on clay courts. With Świątek’s victory today, she has won three of those titles against Sabalenka.
Today’s victory was the third title Świątek has won on the 2024 WTA Tour and the 20th title of her career in single’s competition. All three of her titles this year have been at 1000-level events - bring her overall haul at this level to nine. Notably, this was the eighth title she has claimed from a clay court event.
Heading into this tournament, Świątek was ranked as the Number 1 tennis player on the 2024 WTA Tour, while Sabalenka carried the Number 2 designation. By winning in Madrid, Świątek has received 1,000 points in the overall rankings. Meanwhile, Sabalenka has picked up 650 points.
Świątek and Sabalenka were the event’s first and second seeds, respectively. The tournament allowed the Top 32 seeds to advance directly to the second round. Moreover, they are the first pair of players to contest consecutive finals in Madrid since the inception of the women’s event in 2009.
Świątek arrived in the final after winning against Wang Xiyu of China (No. 52), Sorana Cîrstea of Romania (No. 30), Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain (No. 55), Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil (No. 14), and Madison Keys of the United States (No. 20). She prevailed against the event’s 2nd, 11th, 18th and 27th seeds to win the title.
In the other half of the main draw, Sabalenka defeated Magda Linette of Poland (No. 48), Robin Montgomery of the United States (No. 183), Danielle Collins of the United States (No. 15), Mirra Andreeva of Russia (No. 43), and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan (No. 4). She knocked out the event’s fourth and thirteenth seeds to reach the final.
The revised rankings for the 2024 WTA Tour will be officially released on Monday, May 6. The tour will then play one tournament between May 8 and 19: the Italian Open in Rome, Italy (a WTA 1000 event). The competition will be played on clay courts.
Rybakina is the reigning champion at the Italian Open. She is looking to defend the title as the event’s fourth seed this year. Świątek and Sabalenka have entered the main draw in Rome too as the tournament’s first and second seeds.