In their third meeting over the course of five weeks, Aryna Sabalenka overcame a mid-match slump and turned into higher gear in the last two games to defeat Ashleigh Barty 6-0 3-6 6-4 in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open.
The fifth-seeded Sabalenka absolutely dominated the first set. The Belarusian hit 11 winners to just one unforced error and faced no break points as she served the top seed a bagel in 25 minutes.
In the second set, Sabalenka leveled from 0-2 to 2-2, but then she allowed to be broken again in the crucial fifth game and Barty marched into the decider.
The third set was steady until 4-4, when Sabalenka won two games in a row without dropping a point.
The 23-year-old Sabalenka, who had conceded only 18 games in her five matches preceding the final, the fewest of any Madrid finalist in the tournament’s history, ended Barty’s 16-match winning streak on European red clay.
By lifting the title, the 10th in her career, Sabalenka will crack the Top 5 for the first time, overtaking Sofia Kenin at No.4. Barty will remain the WTA No.1 after the Madrid Open, taking her total number of weeks at the summit to 75.
Congratulations, Aryna for staying the course and not letting Barty’s comeback rattle you. This will be a great rivalry in the future. BTW, loved her little dance at the end.