Home MADRID WTA - SINGLES TENNIS Madrid Open: World No. 1 Sabalenka Battles Past Stearns, Swiatek Rolls

Madrid Open: World No. 1 Sabalenka Battles Past Stearns, Swiatek Rolls

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Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka survives Stearns test

Aryna Sabalenka committed 26 unforced errors but beat Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Madrid third round. Iga Swiatek cruised past Daria Snigur 6-1, 6-2 in 61 minutes.


Sabalenka battles rust to reach Madrid third round as Swiatek cruises...


Aryna Sabalenka overcame a sluggish start to claim her first clay win of the season Thursday in Madrid, stretching her winning streak to 13 matches.


Playing for the first time since completing the Sunshine Double at Indian Wells and Miami last month, the world No. 1 hit 26 unforced errors but still dispatched American Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-3 in the Spanish capital.


The defending champion, chasing a fourth Madrid crown, broke Stearns four times in 12 chances. Despite five double faults and dropping serve twice, Sabalenka closed it out to book a third-round clash with Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian.


“I’m super happy to start with a win, even though maybe the tennis wasn't that good, but I felt like with every game I was playing, the better I was playing, so I really hope in the next one I bring a better performance,” said Sabalenka, who has now won 24 of 25 matches in 2026.




Earlier on Manolo Santana Stadium, Iga Swiatek wasted no time in her Madrid opener, routing Daria Snigur 6-1, 6-2.


The No. 4 seed from Poland needed just 61 minutes to dispatch Snigur, who had just earned her first tour-level main draw win on clay by beating Daria Kasatkina.


The Ukrainian qualifier saved four match points Wednesday against Kasatkina, winning the longest tour-level first-to-seven tiebreak in eight years, 15-13, to seal the upset.


Snigur had little left in the tank against Swiatek, who looked ruthless aside from a brief dip early in the second set. Swiatek kept her push alive for a first clay title since her fourth Roland Garros nearly two years ago.




“I'm very happy. Madrid is a special place to play, because of how special the tournament is, but also because of the conditions, so I'm happy that I adjusted well to them and was solid and just playing my game,” said Swiatek, playing her second event with new coach Francisco Roig.


Swiatek, the 2024 Madrid champion, saved three break points en route to a 5-0 lead in just 23 minutes. She wrapped up the set eight minutes later after Snigur finally held serve.


Snigur came out stronger in the second set, using her backhand to trouble Swiatek and break her for the first time in the match to go up 0-2.


But the Ukrainian’s lead didn’t last. Swiatek broke back immediately and reeled off six straight games to set up a third-round match against Ann Li or Alycia Parks.


Elsewhere, world No. 63 Anna Bondar of Hungary stunned seventh seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4 for her first career top-10 win.


Switzerland’s 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic cruised past Petra Marcinko 6-4, 6-2 and now faces Russian 18th seed Diana Shnaider in round three.



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