Aryna Sabalenka exacts revenge on rival Swiatek in Madrid final after Stuttgart loss
Earns tour-leading 3rd title of season, 13th of career; Kvitova sitting out Italian Open
Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka beat top-ranked Iga Swiatek 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reclaim the Madrid Open title on Saturday.
Sabalenka lost to Swiatek in the Stuttgart final two weeks ago and had never previously taken a set against her Polish rival in three clay-court meetings.
But the Belarusian held nothing back by aggressively hitting for winners and breaking Swiatek four times in the final.
The Australian Open champion claimed her tour-leading third title of the season and 13th of her career, including her second in Madrid after triumphing here in 2021.
"I am just super happy with this win, especially against Iga on clay," Sabalenka said.
She told Swiatek on court, "It is always tough against each other and you always push me to my limits. I hope we will play many more times this season."
It was the first WTA 1000 final between the top two ranked players since No. 1 Serena Williams beat No. 2 Li Na at the 2014 Miami Open. It was also only the third time in the last 40 years that the top two women met twice on clay in a single season.
Regained composure
Swiatek, a three-time Grand Slam winner, entered the match with a 5-2 record against Sabalenka. But she was clearly flustered early on by Sabalenka's superb hitting. She shook her head and talked to her coach in the stands after costly hitting errors.
After Sabalenka commanded the first set and the start of the second, Swiatek found her composure and levelled the set score.
The decisive set could have gone either way.
Sabalenka finally tilted the final in her favour after a running forehand cross-court shot clipped the sideline for a winner to break Swiatek and go up 5-3.
Swiatek fended off three match points before Sabalenka smashed a forehand to finish her off.
On the men's side, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz plays Jan-Lennard Struff in Sunday's final scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.
Injured Kvitova eyes French Open
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova announced Saturday she has withdrawn from next week's Italian Open due to a right foot injury.
"Unfortunately my right foot is still causing me pain so, after consulting my team, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from Rome," Kvitova wrote on Twitter. "I will miss the beautiful site, the Italian fans and wish the tournament a great week. I'll work hard to be ready for the French Open."
Kvitova is ranked 10th in the world. The 33-year-old Czech recorded her 30th singles title by winning the Miami Open on April 1.
The Italian Open starts Tuesday and spans to May 20. The French Open begins on May 28.
