In the Madrid Open tournament, Sabalenka emerges victorious over Gauff, claiming her third championship title.
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Coco Gauff met her match in Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 Madrid Open. Last year's runner-up cruised through the first set against the fourth-ranked American, before a thrilling second-set battle that ended in a tie-break, securing victory for Sabalenka as Gauff double-faulted.
Sabalenka, now boasting a tour-leading 31 victories on clay, added another WTA 1000 trophy to her shelves, following her previous titles in Brisbane and Miami. This marked the sixth final she has reached this year, the 37th of her career, and the fourth in five years at Madrid.
In last year's showpiece, Sabalenka fell to Iga Swiatek, whom Gauff thrashed in the semi-final a few days prior. Addressing a beaming Gauff after the match, Sabalenka expressed optimism, "I'm pretty sure we're gonna play many more times in the finals -- although I hope I'm going to get all (the wins)."
The 21-year-old American, who took the US Open in 2023, faced an uphill battle against the powerful Sabalenka. Sabalenka won the opening 17 points and built a 4-1 lead with breaks in the third and fifth games, leaving Gauff struggling to keep pace.
Gauff managed a break of her own to slow down Sabalenka's momentum, but the two-time Madrid champion responded with another break to wrap up the first set in just 35 minutes with her second set point.
Facing a deficit, Gauff came out fighting in the second set. She switched up her serve strategy more aggressively and secured a break in the third game to establish a 3-1 advantage. However, Sabalenka was not ready to relinquish her crown just yet.
Towards the end of the second set, Gauff found herself serving to stay in the match. With the pressure mounting, she double-faulted twice, handing three break points to Sabalenka. Sabalenka converted one of these break points, clinching the game and eventually the match, when Gauff double-faulted again.
The world number one battled through a tough hold to reach five games all, but spurned a championship point as Gauff forced a tie-break. Undeterred, Sabalenka secured two mini-breaks before Gauff fought back on serve. In hilarious fashion, Sabalenka lost her racquet mid-point during a rally, looking bewildered at the crowd. Despite squandering a set point, Gauff saved another break point, but Sabalenka eventually claimed the game.
With a looming championship point, Gauff saved another break point, but Sabalenka took control, opening up three more championship points. Facing her final test, Gauff handed victory to this year's Australian Open runner-up on a silver platter with another double fault.
Sabalenka's triumph not only cemented her place in Madrid Open history, as she matched Petra Kvitova's record of three women's titles, but also highlighted her continued dominance on clay courts. Despite the defeat, Gauff appeared upbeat, thanking her team and the tournament organizers, as she admitted, "[It was] one of my favorite cities to come to."
© 2025 AFP
In 2023, Coco Gauff clinched the US Open, but faced a formidable opponent in Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 Madrid Open. Sabalenka, the tennis star with a tour-leading 31 victories on clay, aimed to add another WTA 1000 trophy to her collection.
With Sabalenka as the runner-up in last year's Madrid Open, she cruised through the first set against Gauff before a thrilling second set battle that ended in a tie-break, securing victory for Sabalenka in 2025.
After her victory, Sabalenka, now the two-time Madrid champion, expressed happiness and optimism about future encounters with Gauff, stating, "I'm pretty sure we're gonna play many more times in the finals -- although I hope I'm going to get all (the wins)."
