“Hopefully, next year it goes to me” – Aryna Sabalenka jokes with Iga Swiatek about taking turns to win Madrid Open after Pole avenges 2023 final loss

Iga Swiatek defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2024 Madrid Open women's singles title on Saturday, May 4, and avenged her loss to the Belarusian in last year's final.

Swiatek and Sabalenka battled it out in a thriller that lasted three hours and 14 minutes at La Caja Magica on Saturday. The match opened with both players breaking each other's first service games, and the Pole eventually took the first set with another break in the 12th game.

Sabalenka fought back in the second set by converting three break points on Swiatek's serve after being broken twice herself. The third set went down the wire as the two players remained inseparable in the stipulated 12 games, inducing a tiebreaker.

Iga Swiatek eventually edged out Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) to clinch the trophy a year after ending second best to the latter at the same venue. Sabalenka seems to have taken the loss in the right spirit as she, in her runner-up speech, joked about playing the Madrid Open final in 2025 with Swiatek but ending it differently.

"I’m actually supposed to start from Iga. Sorry, I’m lost a little bit but congrats on another great tournament for you guys, doing incredible job. Hopefully, next year it goes to me… I agree on that one. Great play, great match, well, three hours, is a long one. Hopefully, we’ll recover fast for the next tournament," the two-time Madrid champion said.

The World No. 2 then thanked her team, saying:

"Thank you so much to my incredible team. I think I… I’m really sure I’ve the best team. We’ve been through a lot and you’re always there for me, you’ve always supported me and you always keep me going. Thank you so much and I love you."

The 2023 final between Sabalenka and Swiatek also ended in three sets, with the former prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

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Aryna Sabalenka now trails Iga Swiatek 3-7 in head-to-head

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka's head-to-head disadvantage against Iga Swiatek increased to 7-3 after she lost to the latter in the final of the 2024 Madrid Open on Saturday, May 4.

Interestingly, Sabalenka had begun her rivalry with the World No. 1 with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a group-stage meeting at the 2021 WTA Finals. However, Swiatek remained unbeatable in their next four encounters in 2022 at the Qatar Open (quarterfinal), Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (final), Italian Open (semifinal), and US Open (semifinal).

Aryna Sabalenka broke the losing streak against Iga Swiatek by defeating her in the semifinals of the WTA Finals that year. The two met in Stuttgart the following year when the Pole claimed the championship with a 6-3, 6-4 win.