World No.1 Iga Swiatek has secured her spot in the Mutua Madrid Open final for the second year in a row, defeating No.18 seed Madison Keys in the semifinals with a convincing 6-1 6-3 victory. Swiatek’s performance was dominant, needing only 70 minutes to reach her third final of the year and move closer to her third WTA 1000 title of 2024.
“It was a pretty clean performance and really solid game from myself,” Swiatek commented after the match. “I’m happy with everything.”
Swiatek, who finished as the runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid last year, is now set to face either Sabalenka or No.4 seed Elena Rybakina in this year’s final on Saturday. Reflecting on the potential rematch with Sabalenka, Swiatek said, “I’m happy that we can play a final against the top players. It shows consistency. For sure it’s going to be a challenge, whoever it’s gonna be, and a tough match. I will be ready. I will focus on myself. Yeah, we’ll see.”
The 29-year-old Keys had hoped to extend her successful run in Madrid, having already secured two Top 10 wins over Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur in previous rounds. However, Swiatek’s early command of the match, coupled with her ability to save all three break points she faced, proved too much for Keys. Swiatek’s 65 percent return points won on Keys’ second serve and a 4-for-5 break point conversion rate were key factors in her victory.
With this win, Swiatek improved her head-to-head record against Keys to 3-1 and collected her 29th win of the season, second only to Elena Rybakina in 2024. Swiatek has also maintained a perfect 5-0 record against players from the United States this year.
The match saw a brief challenge from Keys, who came close to breaking Swiatek’s serve early in the first set. However, Swiatek’s strong serving and determined play allowed her to maintain control and secure the win in straight sets.
The Polish star has been in excellent form, already claiming championship trophies at WTA 1000 events in Doha and Indian Wells earlier this year.
