Aryna Sabalenka powered through her second‑round match at the Madrid Open on Saturday, dispatching Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets, 6‑1, 6‑4, in just one hour and 25 minutes. The Belarusian, who entered the tournament as the defending champion, will now meet fellow former Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the round of 16, a clash that promises to decide who will move on to the quarter‑finals in the Spanish capital. Sabalenka, who is currently ranked world No.
1, has now compiled an impressive streak of 14 consecutive victories across all surfaces. After the win she reflected on her performance, saying, “The first set was especially amazing for me. I even managed to hit a one‑handed backhand, which is a bit crazy for my game.
That shot felt like the best I’ve ever hit.” Her confidence appears to be soaring as she prepares for the tougher challenge that Osaka will present. In the women’s doubles draw, veteran Venus Williams celebrated her first tournament win since the US Open, partnering with Britain’s Katie Boulter.
The pair entered the Madrid Open as a last‑minute partnership after Boulter asked Williams to team up. Despite dropping the opening set 4‑6, the duo rallied to take the second set 6‑3 and then clinched the match‑tiebreak 10‑7, overcoming the Chinese team of Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan. Williams, 45, has endured a ten‑match losing streak in singles at the event, having fallen in the first round again this year, but her doubles form is finally showing signs of revival after a long drought since reaching the US Open quarter‑finals with Leylah Fernandez last summer. Boulter expressed her delight at the experience, noting, “It was fantastic and a lot of fun.
Being on the same side of the net with Venus was a privilege – I certainly didn’t want to be on the opposite side. Playing with her was a dream, and I enjoyed every minute.” The tournament also saw a dramatic exit from former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who withdrew tearfully during her third‑round match against American Ann Li.
Swiatek, who has struggled to get past the quarter‑final stage in any event this season, disclosed after the match that she has been battling a virus. She reported that her temperature and blood pressure were taken after she lost the first two games of the deciding set. Although she attempted to push through after taking medication, she appeared fatigued and eventually retired while trailing 6‑7(4), 6‑2, 0‑3, 0‑30, visibly upset.
"The last two days have been terrible," Swiatek told reporters. "I think I have a virus.
Some hours I feel okay, other hours I feel awful. I heard there might be something circulating among the players here.
I’m sure I’ll recover in a few days, but I had zero energy. Yesterday was even worse, and today I hoped it would improve, but not enough to play a match." Swiatek had managed to turn the match around after dropping a tight first set, but her physical condition made continuation impossible.
When asked whether she considered not stepping onto the court at all, the fourth seed admitted, "I knew it would be hard, but I still wanted to try. In the third set I started feeling dizzy and uncoordinated. I couldn’t drink anything because I felt constantly full, and my energy plummeted." Looking ahead, Swiatek said she will focus on recovery before 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 that I can’t play because I felt good with my game and was making progress," she lamented. "The tournament just started, and I couldn’t even compete today, which is disappointing." On the men’s side, second seed Alexander Zverev survived a brief scare, dropping the second set to Argentina’s Mariano Navone before rebounding to win 6‑1, 3‑6, 6‑3. Defending champion Casper Ruud cruised through his match with a dominant 6‑0, 6‑1 victory over Spain’s Jaume Munar, while third seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime also advanced to the third round, keeping his tournament hopes alive.
The Madrid Open continues to deliver high‑quality tennis across both tours, with live coverage available on Sky Sports, the NOW streaming platform, and the Sky Sports app. Fans can enjoy a broad array of matches, highlights, and exclusive video content, with the network promising over 50 percent more live sport this year at no extra cost for subscribers. For those seeking an accessible viewing experience, the platform recommends using the Chrome browser for optimal video playback.
Overall, the tournament has already produced a mix of dominant performances, emotional withdrawals, and inspiring comebacks, setting the stage for exciting weeks ahead as players vie for the coveted titles in one of Europe’s premier clay‑court events.