Aryna Sabalenka powered through her opening 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 Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the next round, a clash that promises to decide who will claim a spot in the quarter‑finals.
Sabalenka, who currently sits atop the WTA rankings, has now compiled a streak of fourteen consecutive wins on the tour. Reflecting on her performance, she said, "The first set was especially amazing for me. I even managed a one‑handed backhand, which is a bit crazy – it was probably the shot of my life." In the doubles draw, veteran Venus Williams captured her first win since the US Open, partnering with Britain's Katie Boulter.
The pair accepted a last‑minute invitation to team up in Madrid and turned a one‑set deficit into a victory over the Chinese duo of Jiang Xinyu and Xu Yifan, winning 4-6 6-3 (10-7) in the opening round. Williams, now 45, has endured a ten‑match losing streak in singles at the event, and she had not won a doubles match since reaching the US Open quarter‑finals with Leylah Fernandez last summer. Boulter praised the experience, saying, "It was great, so much fun. It’s a privilege to share the court and be on the same side of the net – I don’t want to be on the opposite side.
Playing with Venus was amazing and I enjoyed every minute of it." The tournament also saw a dramatic withdrawal from former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The Polish star, who has struggled to move past the quarter‑final stage in any event this season, was forced to retire from her third‑round match against American Ann Li after a bout of illness. Swiatek fell behind 6-7 (4) 6-2 0-3 0-30 before walking off the court in tears.
She later explained that she was battling a virus, noting that her temperature and blood pressure were checked after losing the first two games of the deciding set. "The last two days have been terrible," she said. "I think I have a virus. Some hours I feel fine, other hours I feel really bad.
There are rumors about a virus circulating among players, and I’m sure I’ll recover in a few days, but I had zero energy." Swiatek admitted that she tried to push through the illness, taking medication and attempting to continue, but she felt dizzy, uncoordinated, and unable to stay hydrated because she felt constantly full. "I knew it would be hard, but I still wanted to try," she said. "In the third set I started feeling a little bit dizzy and not really coordinated.
I couldn't really drink anything because I just felt like I'm full constantly, and the energy went down drastically." The Polish champion will now focus on recuperation before turning her attention to the upcoming Italian Open in Rome, where she hopes to regain form under the guidance of her 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 progressing," Swiatek lamented. "The tournament just started and I couldn’t even compete today, so it’s disappointing." On the men’s side, second seed Alexander Zverev survived a set loss to Argentina’s Mariano Navone before prevailing 6-1 3-6 6-3, demonstrating his resilience after a challenging first set. Defending champion Casper Ruud continued his dominant run, crushing Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-0 6-1, while third seed Felix Auger‑Aliassime also advanced to the third round without dropping a set.
Overall, the Madrid Open has delivered a mix of dominant performances, surprise partnerships, and unfortunate health setbacks. Sabalenka’s commanding win positions her as a favorite to retain her title, while Osaka will be eager to test herself against the world No. 1.
Venus Williams’ successful partnership with Katie Boulter highlights the veteran’s continued relevance in doubles, and Swiatek’s withdrawal underscores the physical toll that the tour can exact on even the most elite athletes. Fans can continue to follow live action via Sky Sports, NOW streaming, or the Sky Sports app, which offers expanded coverage of both ATP and WTA events throughout the season.