Women's Masters in Madrid: Contenders Named and Set
In the Madrid WTA-1000 final on clay soil, the Belarusian powerhouse, Aryna Sabalenka, is prepped to collide with the young gun from the States, Coco Gauff. This showdown sparks anticipation as it puts an end to Elina Svitolina's nine-match winning streak on clay, secured by Sabalenka in a grueling 1 hour and 32 minutes match.
Sabalenka, the fourth seed of these events, vanquished Iga Świątek in an impressive 64 minutes, clinching a 6:1, 6:1 victory in the qualifiers. However, Gauff, the American prodigy, holds a slight edge in their head-to-head record - 5-4. The one clay battle they had saw Gauff emerge victorious, a feat she accomplished four years ago in Rome.
In their most recent encounter, held at the WTA Finals 2024 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Gauff came out on top once more. Regrettably, the specifics of the 2024 Madrid WTA-1000 final, including the scores and the eventual winner, remain unavailable in the current data. For those interested, Iga Świątek bagged the 2023 Madrid Open title by overpowering Sabalenka in the final match.
- Aryna Sabalenka, the clay-court specialist, is set to face off against Coco Gauff in the Rome WTA-1000 final, having halted Elina Svitolina's nine-match winning streak in Madrid just a year ago.
- In contrast to their recent encounter in Riyadh, Sabalenka's clash with Gauff in Madrid will mark their second meeting on clay, with the American holding a 5-4 advantage in their sports-match history.
- Gauff's past clay victory over Sabalenka dates back to Rome, four years ago, making it the only time they've played on the surface before this upcoming match.
- Despite the discrepancies in their overall head-to-head record, Sabalenka will be hoping to replicate her triumph over Iga Świątek, who currently leads the tour, to secure the 2025 Madrid WTA-1000 title and deny Gauff the double repeat.
