Photo Source: TTV
Heartbreak has never been a deal breaker for Aryna Sabalenka.
Remember last year when the Belarusian squandered three match points and fell to Iga Swiatek in a thrilling three hour and 11-minute final? Sabalenka does too, but she took a step closer to erasing the bitter taste of that defeat on Thursday as she battled past Elina Svitolina to reach her fourth Madrid final in five years, 6-4, 7-5 The World No.1 improves to 22-4 lifetime in Madrid and sets a clash with fourth-seeded Coco Gauff, who rocketed past two-time champion Iga Swiatek in rapid fashion in Thursday’s first women’s semifinal, 6-1, 6-1.
Sabalenka improves to 6-0 in WTA semifinals this year, and ties Simona Halep on the all-time list for Madrid final appearances. She is also the fifth player to win seven consecutive WTA 1000 semifinals, along with Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka.
Sabalenka cracked 29 winners and saved four of six break points.
Svitolina, playing in her first Madrid semifinal, pushed back with a late break as Sabalenka served for the match at 5-4, but she dropped the final two games to fall to 1-5 against Sabalenka. Gauff leads the head-to-head with Sabalenka 5-4, including a victory over her rival in the 2023 US Open final. Their only previous clay meeting went to Gauff as well, in Rome in 2021.
Gauff will bid for her 11th WTA title; Sabalenka is bidding for her 20th.