Aryna Sabalenka powered through a one‑hour‑and‑twenty‑five‑minute match to book her place in the Madrid Open round of 16, beating Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday. The Belarusian, who entered the tournament as the defending champion, will now meet Naomi Osaka in the next round, with a quarter‑final berth on the line. The world number one, riding a streak of 14 consecutive wins, reflected on her performance after the match. "The first set especially was an incredible level for me," Sabalenka said.
"I even managed a one‑handed backhand, which is a bit crazy for me. That shot was probably the highlight of my career so far." In other action, veteran Venus Williams celebrated her first triumph since the US Open, this time in the doubles draw alongside Britain's Katie Boulter. The pair accepted a last‑minute partnership for the Madrid Open and staged a comeback after dropping the opening set, defeating China's Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 in the opening round.
Williams, 45, is currently on a ten‑match losing streak in singles after another first‑round exit, and she had not secured a doubles win since reaching the US Open quarter‑finals with Leylah Fernandez last summer. Boulter was effusive about the experience: "It was great, it was so much fun.
To share the court with someone of Venus' stature was a privilege – I definitely didn't want to be on the opposite side of the net. Playing with her was a joy and I savoured every minute." The tournament also saw the emotional withdrawal of former world number one Iga Swiatek during her third‑round clash with Ann Li. Swiatek, who has yet to progress beyond the quarter‑finals in any event this season, disclosed after the match that she has been battling a virus. She had her temperature and blood pressure measured after losing the first two games of the decisive set.
Although she tried to soldier on after taking medication, she appeared fatigued and ultimately retired while trailing Li 6-7 (4), 6-2, 0-3, 0-30, tears streaming down her face. "The last two days have been terrible," the Pole admitted.
"I think I have a virus. Some hours I'm fine, other hours I'm really bad. I've heard rumors that the illness is circulating among players here. I'm confident I'll be okay in a few days, but my energy was zero.
Yesterday was even worse, and I hoped today would be better – it was a little, but not enough to compete." Swiatek had shown signs of a comeback after dropping a tightly contested first set, but her physical state in the third set made continuation impossible. When asked whether she had considered not stepping onto the court at all, the fourth seed answered, "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 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 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 dropped a set to Argentina's Mariano Navone but rallied to win 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, securing his place in the next round. Defending champion Casper Ruud cruised past Spain's Jaume Munar with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory, while third seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime also advanced to the third round. The Madrid Open continues to deliver high‑stakes tennis across both tours, with live coverage available on Sky Sports, the NOW streaming platform, and the Sky Sports app, offering subscribers over 50% more live sport this year at no extra charge.
Fans can also follow detailed scores, results, and upcoming match schedules through the tournament's official channels.