Aryna Sabalenka overcame a spirited fightback from Coco Gauff to claim her third Madrid Open title with a thrilling 6-3 7-6 (7-3) win.
World number one Sabalenka dominated the opening set but squandered a championship point in a fluctuating second set as Gauff forced a tie-break.
There was still little to separate them as Gauff recovered from 3-0 to make it 3-3 but a double fault gave 26-year-old Sabalenka the victory.
Both came into the final confidently, with Belarusian Sabalenka as the world’s best and Gauff coming off the back of her stunning semi-final win over Iga Swiatek.
Sabalenka made a flying start, which included 17 points won in a row, but Gauff’s brave recovery saw her take a 5-3 lead in the second set.
The 21-year-old American then saved six break points to thwart Sabalenka’s comeback after she had made it 5-5.
But Sabalenka held her nerve under pressure in her sixth final of 2025 so far, adding the Madrid title to her wins in Brisbane and Miami.
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