Sabalenka Storms to Madrid Open Final Against Gauff

Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elina Svitolina to reach the Madrid Open final, where she'll face Coco Gauff. Sabalenka secured a 6-3, 7-5 victory, ending Svitolina's clay-court winning streak. Gauff advanced by beating Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka is a top contender with previous wins and 30 WTA main-draw victories in 2025.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka secured her place in the final of the Madrid Open by defeating Elina Svitolina, the 17th seed, on Thursday night. According to the WTA, Sabalenka clinched victory with a 6-3, 7-5 scoreline, requiring precisely one hour and 32 minutes to dismantle Svitolina's clay-court undefeated streak that spanned nine matches this year.

This triumph sets the stage for a gripping title showdown against the fourth-seeded Coco Gauff on Saturday. Gauff advanced by overpowering the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory in just 64 minutes earlier on the same day. Although Sabalenka faces a slight 5-4 disadvantage in their head-to-head matches, Gauff previously triumphed in their only clay encounter at the Rome tournament in 2021 and their most recent match at the 2024 WTA Finals held in Riyadh.

Remarkably, Sabalenka has demonstrated outstanding performance throughout the tournament this decade, boasting 22 wins against just four losses. She clinched the title twice, in 2021 and 2023, and was a finalist last year. Currently leading the WTA tour in victories, Sabalenka is the first player to amass 30 main-draw wins in the 2025 WTA events. She is a formidable force with three Grand Slam titles, having twice consecutively claimed the Australian Open crown and currently holding the defending champion title at the US Open. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)