Aryna Sabalenka powered through the opening round of the Madrid Open on Saturday, beating Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-4 in just one hour and 25 minutes to secure a place in the tournament's round of 16. The Belarusian, who entered the event as the defending champion, will next meet Naomi Osaka in a clash that could determine who moves on to the quarter‑finals. Sabalenka, who is currently ranked world No. 1, celebrated her dominant performance by noting the extraordinary level she displayed, especially in the first set.
She even highlighted a rare one‑handed backhand she struck, describing it as “the shot of my life.” In the women's doubles draw, veteran Venus Williams captured her first win since the US Open by teaming up with Britain's Katie Boulter. The unseeded pairing answered Boulter’s invitation to partner at the event, clawing back from a set down to defeat the Chinese duo of Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan 4-6, 6-3, [10-7] in the opening round. The 45‑year‑old American, who is enduring a ten‑match losing streak in singles after another early‑round defeat in Madrid, had not recorded a doubles victory since reaching the US Open quarter‑finals with Leylah Fernandez last summer.
Boulter expressed her delight at the experience, saying it was “great” and “so much fun,” and that she felt privileged to share the court with a legend like Venus. The tournament also saw the dramatic exit of former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who withdrew tearfully from her third‑round match against Ann Li after battling a virus.
Swiatek, who has yet to progress beyond a quarter‑final in any event this season, explained that she experienced fever, fluctuating blood pressure, and a profound lack of energy. After losing the first two games of the deciding set, she attempted to push on with medication, but her physical state deteriorated. The Pole fell behind Li 6‑7(4), 6‑2, 0‑3, 0‑30 before conceding the match and walking off the court in tears. In the post‑match interview she described the past two days as “pretty terrible,” noting that she felt dizzy, uncoordinated, and unable to drink fluids because she felt constantly full.
Despite knowing the difficulty of playing, she said she wanted to try, but ultimately had to stop for health reasons. Swiatek said she will now focus on recovery ahead of the upcoming Italian Open in Rome, where she hopes to regain form under the guidance of her new coach, Francisco Roig, before the French Open. "It's sad for me that I can't play because I was feeling really good with my game, and I was moving forward in the process," she lamented, adding that the tournament had just begun and she was disappointed to miss out. On the men’s side, second seed Alexander Zverev dropped the first set to Argentina's Mariano Navone but rallied to win 6‑1, 3‑6, 6‑3, securing his spot in the next round.
Defending champion Casper Ruud also powered through his match, delivering a clinical 6‑0, 6‑1 victory over Spain's Jaume Munar. Third seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime advanced as well, confirming a strong start for the top seeds in the ATP draw. Overall, the Madrid Open continued to deliver a mix of dominant performances, emotional withdrawals, and unexpected partnerships, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the clay‑court season. Fans can follow live coverage through Sky Sports, NOW, or the Sky Sports app, which offers expanded access to ATP and WTA action throughout the year.