Aryna Sabalenka shows her lighter side as she banters with Coco Gauff after winning the Madrid Open

Aryna Sabalenka has won Miami and Madrid Open in the same season; the last player to do it was Serena Williams.

Aryna Sabalenka shows her lighter side as she banters with Coco Gauff after winning the Madrid Open

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff (via X)

Aryna Sabalenka took down Coco Gauff in straight sets to secure the Madrid Open title. This was her 20th career title and her second Masters 1000 title of the season after her success in Miami.

During the ceremony, Sabalenka once again showed the lighter side of her personality, something tennis fans have become used to this season. The Belarusian was seen playfully bantering with Gauff about potentially winning all of their upcoming matches.

I’m sure we’ll play many more times in the finals…I hope I’m gonna get all of them but I always enjoy fighting against you. You’re such a fighter. Happy to see you back.

Aryna Sabalenka said in her Madrid Open final ceremony

Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek were locked in a battle for the World No. 1 ranking at the start of the season. However, Swiatek’s consistency has allowed her to open up a major gap between them.

In fact, Gauff had the chance to overtake Swiatek if she had won the final. The American had earlier secured a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over the Polish star in the semifinals.

Aryna Sabalenka clinches Madrid Open title

The Madrid Open final was full of star power, and it lived up to the hype. Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s top player, beat No. 4 seed Coco Gauff in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6.

Aryna Sabalenka Madrid Open 2025
Aryna Sabalenka (image via X)

Gauff lost the first set in just 35 minutes. She fought hard in the second set, which lasted 64 minutes, and had chances to turn things around. But she couldn’t take advantage of key moments.

Gauff’s struggle with her serve made a big difference in the match. Sabalenka stayed strong, using her serve to stay in control and close out the win. Sabalenka hit 69% of her serves and won most of those points. Gauff only landed 55% of her serves and made eight double faults. Both players had two aces, but Sabalenka’s consistency gave her the edge.

Aryna Sabalenka matches two Serena Williams record

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka continued to prove why she is one of the top players in women’s tennis. Her win over Coco Gauff in the Madrid Open final helped her match two big records held by Serena Williams. Sabalenka won the match 6-3, 7-6(3), taking home her third title of the season.

Aryna Sabalenka Miami Open
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via Instagram @arynasabalenka)

The final was full of mistakes, as both players seemed nervous with so much on the line. Gauff was hoping to move ahead of Iga Swiatek in the rankings. Sabalenka wanted to improve her head-to-head record against Gauff, which stood at 4-5 before this match.

With this win, Sabalenka became the second player in the Open Era to win her first three clay court titles at Grand Slam, Tier I, or WTA-1000 level—all in Madrid. Only Williams had done that before. She also joined Serena in another record by winning three titles in two different WTA-1000 events. Sabalenka did it in Madrid and Wuhan, while Serena did it in Miami and Rome.

Sabalenka now holds titles in Madrid, Miami, and Brisbane this season. She has reached the final in six of the eight events she has played in 2025. Next, both Sabalenka and Gauff will compete in the upcoming WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, starting Tuesday.

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