Aryna Sabalenka powered through her opening match in Madrid, dispatching 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 now meet Naomi Osaka in the next round, a clash that promises to decide which player will move on to the quarter‑finals. Sabalenka, who is currently ranked world No.
1, celebrated her 14th consecutive victory on the WTA Tour with a confident post‑match interview. “The first set was especially impressive for me – I felt I was playing at an incredible level,” she said.
“I even managed a one‑handed backhand, which is a bit crazy for me. That shot might just be the best one of my life.” In the doubles draw, veteran Venus Williams enjoyed a rare win, partnering with Britain’s Katie Boulter.
The pair answered Boulter’s invitation to team up at the Madrid Open by coming from a set down to defeat China’s Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan 4‑6, 6‑3, [10‑7] in the opening round. Williams, 45, has endured a ten‑match losing streak in singles at the event, and she had not lifted a doubles trophy since reaching the US Open quarter‑finals with Leylah Fernandez last summer. “It was great, it was so much fun,” Boulter exclaimed. “Just being on the same side of the net as Venus was a privilege – I don’t want to be on the opposite side!
I enjoyed every minute of it.” The tournament also delivered a dramatic moment when former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek withdrew from her third‑round match against Ann Li. Swiatek, who has yet to progress beyond the quarter‑finals in any event this season, announced after losing the first two games of the deciding set that she was suffering from a virus.
She had her temperature and blood pressure checked, took medication, and tried to continue, but soon appeared fatigued and dizzy. The Polish star fell behind Li 6‑7(4), 6‑2, 0‑3, 0‑30 before walking off the court in tears. “The last two days have been terrible,” Swiatek said, visibly shaken. “I think I have a virus.
Some hours I feel fine, other hours I feel really bad. I heard there might be something circulating among the players here.
I’m sure I’ll be okay in a few days, but I had zero energy.” She added that she felt constantly full, could not drink enough fluids, and her coordination deteriorated as the match wore on. “I knew it would be hard, but I still wanted to try,” the fourth seed explained. “In the third set I started feeling dizzy and uncoordinated. I couldn’t drink much because I felt full all the time, and my energy dropped dramatically.” Swiatek will now focus on recovery before turning her attention to the Italian Open in Rome next month, where she hopes to regain form under the guidance of new coach Francisco Roig ahead of the French Open.
“It’s sad that I can’t play because I was feeling good with my game and making progress,” she lamented. “The tournament just started.
I couldn’t even compete today, so it’s disappointing.” On the men’s side, second seed Alexander Zverev survived a set‑back against Argentina’s Mariano Navone, rallying to win 6‑1, 3‑6, 6‑3. Defending champion Casper Ruud continued his dominant run with a 6‑0, 6‑1 demolition of Spain’s Jaume Munar, while third seed Félix Auger‑Aliassime also advanced to the third round. The Madrid Open continues to showcase high‑stakes tennis across both tours, with live coverage available on Sky Sports, the NOW streaming platform, and the Sky Sports app. Subscribers can enjoy more than half again as much live sport this year at no extra charge.
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