MADRID — Aryna Sabalenka beat Coco Gauff in straight units to win her record-tying third Madrid Open on Saturday.
No. 1-ranked Sabalenka powered by the primary set and edged the American in a tiebreaker for 6-3, 7-6 (3) on the outside clay court docket.
Sabalenka added to titles in Madrid in 2021 and 2023 and equaled Petra Kvitova’s match document. It was additionally Sabalenka’s third title of the season after Brisbane and Miami and her profession twentieth. She additionally pulled stage with Gauff on head-to-head with 5 wins apiece.
The fourth-ranked Gauff may have risen to No. 2 with a victory. The 2023 US Open champion had misplaced just one set this week till the ultimate. Gauff’s document in finals slipped to 9 wins in 11.
Sabalenka battered Gauff together with her drive early on. When Gauff discovered her weak spot by spreading her photographs round, the previous champion dug in to power a second-set tiebreaker and crush any probability of a comeback.
Sabalenka missed a championship level on a break probability within the second set, recalling her failure to transform three championship factors in a loss to Iga Swiatek in final 12 months’s closing. After yelling at herself for her missed alternative, the three-time Grand Slam winner shook off her demons, settled down and completed off Gauff.
When Gauff’s closing shot hit the web, Sabalenka thrust her arms into the air.
“It was a very powerful match,” Sabalenka stated. “On the finish of the second set it was actually intense and I used to be very emotional. I’m joyful I used to be in a position to deal with my feelings.”
