Aryna Sabalenka declares intention to exact revenge on Iga Swiatek in Madrid Open final
Aryna Sabalenka claimed that she would want to face Iga Swiatek in the Madrid Open final.
The Belarusian booked her place in the title clash of the clay-court event by beating ninth seed Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals. This was the second time Sabalenka reached the final in Madrid, having previously won it in 2021.
Speaking after the match, the Australian Open champion was asked who she would want to face in the final as the second semifinal between Iga Swiatek and Veronika Kudermetova was yet to be played.
Sabalenka responded by mentioning the Pole, claiming that facing her was always a great battle and that she wanted to avenge her defeat in Stuttgart.
"I want to play (Iga) Swiatek. I don't know, it's always great battles with her. It's always tough matches, I like to be in the battle, and I want to get this revenge," Sabalenka said.
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Sabalenka claimed that the semifinal against Sakkari was her best match of the tournament. She said that she was happy with the level of tennis she showed but more so with her mental game.
"I think it was actually my best match of the tournament. I started really well. Then Maria came back. But mentally I was staying really strong. I knew that she's going to fight for every point. It didn't, how to say, didn't destroy me that she came back. I was still playing, I was still fighting for every point," the Belarusian said.
"Yeah, I'm super happy with the level that I played, and especially with my mental game, I would say. I'm more happy with my mental game," she added.
Iga Swiatek leads 5-2 in the head-to-head against Aryna Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek currently leads 5-2 in the head-to-head against Aryna Sabalenka. The last meeting between the two came in the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, with the Pole winning 6-3, 6-4.
Swiatek booked her place in the semifinals of the Madrid Open with wins over Julia Grabher, 28th seed Bernarda Pera, 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, and 27th seed Petra Martic.
The Pole will face Veronika Kudermetova for a place in the final of the clay-court tournament, and beating the Russian would set up an eighth clash against Sabalenka. It would also be the third time Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will lock horns in a final