World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had a significantly smoother path this time when facing Peyton Stearns at the Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday. In their previous meeting, Sabalenka had narrowly avoided an upset against the young American player.
Playing at the Caja Magica, the top-ranked Belarusian defeated the world No. 44 Stearns in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. This victory propels Sabalenka into the Madrid quarterfinals for the fourth time in the last five years. A two-time champion in Madrid (2021 and 2023), Sabalenka has now accumulated 20 career match wins at this prestigious event.
With this win, Sabalenka also establishes herself as the leader for most tour-level match victories this season. Tuesday`s match marked her 28th win on tour in 2024, placing her one ahead of Jessica Pegula, who has 27 victories.
Top-seeded Sabalenka`s next opponent in the quarterfinals will be the winner of the late match between No. 24 seed Marta Kostyuk and world No. 39 Anastasia Potapova. Sabalenka holds a favorable head-to-head record against both potential opponents, leading Kostyuk 2-0 and Potapova 1-0.
The context of their prior match adds significance to this result. In the second round of Indian Wells in 2024, Stearns pushed Sabalenka to the absolute limit, serving for the match twice and holding a total of four match points before Sabalenka ultimately found a way to win in a tense third-set tiebreak.
While the 6-2, 6-4 scoreline in Madrid suggests a straightforward affair, the match did feature numerous tight games, particularly on Sabalenka`s serve, where Stearns created many chances. However, Sabalenka displayed greater composure on critical points, especially when facing break points. Her resilience helped her maintain her perfect 14-0 record this season against players ranked outside the Top 40.
Sabalenka`s toughness on break points was particularly evident in the first set. Stearns had a remarkable 10 opportunities to break serve in the opener, yet Sabalenka successfully saved every single one. Despite a first-serve percentage hovering around 53% in that set, Sabalenka won a high 83% of points when her first serve landed, effectively thwarting Stearns` attempts.
Stearns finally managed to convert a break point on her 13th opportunity, breaking to level the second set at 3-3 and then consolidating to take a 4-3 lead. This raised the possibility of another lengthy, dramatic encounter like their previous match.
However, Sabalenka quickly stamped out any such thoughts. Elevating her game with some of her most focused and powerful shots of the day, she won the next three games decisively to close out the match. Overall, Sabalenka converted four out of her seven break point chances and hit 22 winners compared to Stearns` 13.
