MADRID — Among the numerous Hologic WTA Tour matches played last year, the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open final stands out as potentially the best.
The final featured the world`s top two players, who have held the No. 1 ranking for over three years. Unsurprisingly, this epic battle is remembered differently by the two competitors based on the outcome.
Iga Swiatek commented last week, “Honestly, I just think about it occasionally, but not in any specific detail.”
When asked the same question, Aryna Sabalenka replied, “Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it much until now.”
Swiatek ultimately won the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open title, defeating Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) in 3 hours and 11 minutes after saving three match points. This was the longest final of the season and one of only two where the winner saved match points, highlighting its high quality and length.
With both players reaching Thursday`s semifinals, there`s an exciting possibility they could face each other in the Madrid final for the third consecutive year. Sabalenka must win against No. 17 seed Elina Svitolina, while Swiatek needs to overcome No. 4 seed Coco Gauff.
This would be a rare occurrence. They would be the first players in 25 years to compete in the same WTA tournament final three years in a row.
The last instance of players meeting in three consecutive finals on clay was in 1994, when Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated Steffi Graf in a third-set tiebreaker in Hamburg, ending Graf`s 36-match winning streak.
A year ago, the specific conditions at La Caja Magica arena created a more balanced contest. While Swiatek excels on the slow red clay, having won Roland Garros four times, Madrid`s higher altitude means thinner air, speeding up the game just enough to reduce Swiatek`s clay advantage and amplify Sabalenka`s powerful shots.
Significantly, Sabalenka`s only two career clay court titles were won in Madrid, in 2021 and 2023 – the latter being a victory over Swiatek in the final.
Swiatek was dominant on European clay courts between 2020 and 2023, securing multiple titles in Paris, Rome, and Stuttgart, but the Madrid title had evaded her. Conversely, Sabalenka aimed to match Petra Kvitova`s record of three Madrid titles. Before the 2024 final, Swiatek held a 7-2 head-to-head lead against Sabalenka and had won her last seven consecutive finals since losing the 2023 Madrid final.
After they split the first two sets, the match nearly concluded before the third-set tiebreak. With Swiatek serving at 5-6 in the final set, Sabalenka earned two match points.
Swiatek recalled Rafael Nadal`s recovery from a two-set deficit against Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final.
Referring to her idol, Swiatek said, “I remember exactly when he was playing Medvedev in Australia, and it clicked for him. That gave me hope that maybe things would click for me too, even after two hours on court.”
After successfully defending a total of three match points, Swiatek managed to escape the situation and win the match when a backhand from Sabalenka went long. Swiatek then fell to the court, covering her face with her hands.
Swiatek addressed the crowd, saying, “Who will say women`s tennis is boring now? Congratulations also to Aryna, because we both put in an amazing effort today.”
Watch This: Swiatek saves three championship points in Madrid final
Swiatek later noted, “I was surprised that I felt strongest mentally in the third set. Before that, I felt like I had to really fight through the match for two hours, and it wasn’t clicking. I kept thinking, `Oh, my God, will I start feeling a bit more relaxed soon?`”
Sabalenka, reflecting on her loss, remained composed.
Sabalenka told reporters, “I`ll feel the pain for a day, but I`m leaving for Rome tomorrow, so I`ll forget it quickly. It`s my birthday tomorrow, so I hope I`ll be in a good mood.”
She then jokingly added,
“I`m going to be in a bad mood. I`m turning 26 tomorrow. That sucks.”
This victory marked Swiatek`s ninth WTA 1000 title and 20th career title overall. She became the youngest player since Caroline Wozniacki twelve years prior to achieve 20 titles.
A year on, both players praised the match.
Sabalenka described the match as “a ball-buster.” She added, “That was an amazing match, even though I lost. Honestly, there`s nothing for me to be upset about. I gave my best, and she simply played better.”
Swiatek remarked, “It`s difficult to fully recall, as few matches are so intense and played at such a high level. Sometimes finals can be slightly lower quality than quarterfinals or semifinals because players feel tighter.”
“But Aryna and I definitely put on a great show,” Swiatek concluded. “I think it was also fantastic for the fans to watch.”
