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Aryna Sabalenka further cemented her status as the top force in women’s tennis after clinching her third title of the 2025 season at the Madrid Open. The world No. 1 overcame Coco Gauff in straight sets to claim victory, adding this triumph to her Miami Open and Brisbane International wins earlier in the year.
Sabalenka’s 2025 campaign has been nothing short of dominant, boasting a 31-5 win-loss record. This follows her stellar 2024 season, where she compiled a 56-14 record and captured four titles, including the Australian Open and US Open.
Gauff acknowledges Sabalenka’s all-around improvement
Although the American star was unable to stop Sabalenka in their latest clash, Gauff didn’t shy away from complimenting her rival’s progression.
“I feel like she just got a lot better in everything,” Gauff said following the match. “Probably every time I play her is tough and, yeah, I don’t think today she played me any different than the other few, or 10 times we played.
“I think last time we played [in the semi-finals of the 2024 WTA Finals] I was serving better and it went my way.
“Maybe she moves a little bit better, but she’s always been tough to play. So, yeah, I think she just probably is more confident, so that’s why the consistent results are happening, but she’s always been a great player.”
With this victory, Sabalenka and Gauff are now tied 5-5 in their career head-to-head battles. However, the Belarusian has now won three of their last four encounters.
Sabalenka reveals the secret behind her recent surge
Sabalenka, who has noticeably refined her game over the past year, credits her success to key improvements in movement and net play.
“I’m super happy that we were able to improve my game in, honestly, in everything, the movement, my touch game is much better right now,” Sabalenka shared. “Kind of like trying to come to the net, I’m not sure if it’s really successful so far, but I’m trying.”
Gauff returns to finals, eyes further growth
Despite the loss, the Madrid-Open Final marked Coco Gauff's return to the championship stage for the first time since the WTA Finals she won in November. With her strong showing, the 21-year-old elevates herself back into No. 3 in the WTA Rankings, closing the gap to only 200 points behind world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
After being broken thrice in the first set, Gauff fortified her challenge in the second, up a break at one point, but Sabalenka quickly retaliated to seal matters 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
Gauff reflects on defeat, eyes motivation
Gauff was candid in her assessment after the match, noting how much she despises losing, particularly in finals.
“I hate losing a lot, and especially in finals, because it’s like you’re so close,” she admitted. “I do get ready for these matches and, yeah, I credit it to just how much I hate losing.
“I don’t know, today was tough, but obviously if I can lose this and go a few more finals undefeated I’ll take that. Each time it’s a learning experience, and maybe I needed to feel this loss again to be motivated again, even more motivated for the next one.”
Sabalenka makes history with Serena-like stats
With her Madrid victory, Aryna Sabalenka joined elite company by matching two records previously set by Serena Williams, further validating her rise as the dominant force on the WTA Tour.
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