World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka won the Madrid Open 2023 title with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over World No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Saturday night. Until Saturday, the 25-year-old had lost all of her three previous meetings with the Pole on clay without even winning a set.
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Sabalenka, the 2021 Madrid champion, clocked 2 hours 26 minutes to see off top seed Swiatek and win the Madrid Open 2023 for the second time in the last three years. It was Sabalenka's 13th career WTA Tour singles title. It's always a tough fight against Iga. Both of Sabalenka's Madrid titles came in a clash with the current world no 1. Two years earlier, Sabalenka had defeated Ashleigh Barty to clinch the crown.
Sabalenka won the fourth break point in the first set to take a crucial 5-3 lead. In the second set, Swiatek came from a 3-0 lead to tie it at 3-3. But the top seed won the set at 5-3 on his break points. Sabalenka took a 3–0 lead in the third set, but Swiatek won two games to bring the score to 3–2. Swiatek had nothing to do with Sabalenka's power game.She won the set 6-3 to seal the Madrid Open 2023 title.
"It's something unbelievable. I'm really happy that I'm able to fight against her and I'm able to get this win so it's not like so super boring for people to watch our matches. I really enjoy playing on clay, because I have extra time. It's not super fast, so I can go for my powerful shots. There are longer rallies. It's like not just bomb, bomb." Sabalenka said after winning the Madrid Open 2023.
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In the men's final on Sunday home favourite and world number two Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to defend his Madrid Open 2023 title against German lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff.