Rybakina's heroic triumph, Sabalenka savours: "I don't know how I did it"

In a match that was tenser than ever, Aryna Sabalenka snatched her ticket to the Madrid final from the jaws of defeat (1-6, 7-5, 7-6 in 2h17). Up against a very solid Elena Rybakina, the Belarusian was dominated for a long time before finally breaking through. After a one-sided first set (6-1) in which the world number 2 failed to get her game going, the match slowly began to even out. Back on track with her efficient first ball, Sabalenka was increasingly pressing on the return. Making up for her break, she regained control before taking her opponent's serve for the last time to close to within a set (7-5). In a final act in which both players held their serve to the very end, it was finally in a high-level tie-break that the title-holder prevailed on her third match point (1-6, 7-5, 7-6).

When asked about this rather miraculous victory, the 25-year-old didn't really seem to think much of it: "Honestly, I don't know how I did it. I just tried to do my best and fight for every point. I was hoping to have a chance of turning the match around, so I'm really happy that I managed to do that. I'm really happy because it was a really tough match, I was fighting against my serve throughout the first set, I couldn't get any confidence until I started winning games more easily. That gave me extra energy to keep fighting. [...] Getting back to a normal serve gave me the opportunity to fight for the match." (Interview at the press conference).

For some time now, many followers of women's tennis have tended to regard Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina as a "big 3". Asked whether or not this "big 3" really exists, the two-time Australian Open winner (2023, 2024) replied in the affirmative: "I like the fact that we're called the Big 3, I feel that, in a way, we motivate each other. Sometimes we give each other a hard time, but at the same time it helps us to improve and work harder and harder, looking for new things. I've been away for a few tournaments (no semi-finals since the Australian Open), so we'll see how things develop, it's only been one tournament. I hope the season continues like this and we become the Big 3 again."

In the final, Aryna Sabalenka will face the eternal world number 1, Iga Swiatek. This match will be a revenge match, as last year the Belarussian achieved the feat of defeating the Pole to claim a second title in Madrid (after 2021).