At the end of the standoff, a revenge: world No.1 Iga Swiatek was crowned in Madrid by defeating world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) Saturday, a year after losing to her in the final on Spanish clay.
Swiatek came out after a fierce face-to-face of 3 hours 11 minutes, not without having dismissed three match points in favor of Sabalenka: two firsts at 6 games to 5 on her serve, and another in the deciding game, 7 points to 6. The three-time winner of Roland-Garros – who will put her crown back on the line in three weeks – won on her second occasion, after a first obtained at 6 points to 5, and s ‘is dropped completely.
“Who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring?” she said into the stadium microphone, having just won the longest final on the WTA circuit in 2024.
“It’s the most intense and craziest final I’ve played,” said Swiatek. “When you come out of games like that, it makes it even better.”
“Thank you for motivating me and pushing me to become a better player,” she addressed her rival of the day.
“I really want to see lots of other finals against her. More victories than defeats,” replied Sabalenka mischievously. “I really hope that we will be able to maintain this level and even raise it season after season.”
Full of confidence
A year ago in the “Caja magica” in Madrid, the Belarusian double winner of the Australian Open won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the final.
With this hard-won victory, Swiatek is obviously full of confidence as Roland-Garros approaches.
On the throne of world tennis for the 101st week, she conquered her third trophy of the year, all in the WTA 1000, the most prestigious tournaments behind those of the Grand Slam, after Doha and Indian Wells. At 22 years old, this is the twentieth title of his still young career.
It also completes its collection of trophies from the main European tournaments on clay, its core surface, after Stuttgart (2022 and 2023), Rome (2021 and 2022), and of course Roland-Garros (2020, 2022 and 2023).
In a highly competitive match whose level rose particularly high in the second and third sets, the two best players in the world engaged in quite a showdown, between one – Sabalenka – trying to impose her power, and the the other – Swiatek – taking all the risks on the return of service and ready to make every effort in defense to regain control of almost desperate points, despite admitted tension and an arm which took time to free itself.
Back to back after almost two hours of play, the world No.1 and No.2 were only decided at the end, in the tie-break of the decisive round.
“Difficult pass”
Before that, Sabalenka had a break in advance in the third set (3-1), then even got match points first, at 6 games to 5. But she made a mistake in the first and Swiatek dismissed the second with an authoritarian forehand winner.
Despite the defeat, “there are a lot of positives to take from this tournament”, retains the Belarusian, who will celebrate her 26th birthday on Sunday.
Sabalenka had not won more than two matches in a row since his second coronation in a row in Melbourne in January, a period overshadowed in March by the death of his ex-companion in Miami, who fell from a hotel balcony.
“I had difficulties in the months following the Australian Open. I am very proud to have been able to get out of this difficult patch, and to be able to fight again and show my best tennis “, appreciated the world No.2, of whom five of the six Madrid face-to-faces stretched over three sets.
Apart from a quarter-final in three sets lasting two and a half hours (against Haddad Maia), Swiatek on the contrary went through the Spanish fortnight at a cruising pace: she only left twenty games on the way to the final .
Now she has emerged victorious from the last seven finals she has played. His last defeat? Just in Madrid a year ago.
Before Roland-Garros, Swiatek and Sabalenka are expected in Rome next week.
