Top seed Iga Swiatek clinches first Madrid Open title in gritty battle against Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka started strong, utilizing her powerful forehand to dominate early play and win the crowd’s support, yet she struggled to convert break opportunities against Swiatek. Swiatek, taking a more strategic approach, broke Sabalenka at 5-5 and then held serve to take the first set after a netcord interaction set up a simple shot for victory.