Sabalenka made to work in victory over stubborn Osorio
Contrasting styles can often make for the most entertaining of tennis duels and Aryna Sabalenka’s narrow third-round victory over Camila Osorio on Saturday was just that. On one side of the net was world No.2 and reigning Australian Open champion Sabalenka, with her booming serves and massive groundstrokes that are particularly lethal in Madrid’s altitude. […]
Confident Sabalenka eyeing second Madrid crown
Two years ago, Ashleigh Barty and Aryna Sabalenka engaged in a fun tug of war during the clay-court season as they squared off in back-to-back finals on the red dirt of Stuttgart and Madrid. Barty had the upper hand in Stuttgart but Sabalenka got her revenge 10 days later, besting the then world No.1 to […]
Favourites in the Caja Mágica
Nobody has found it easy to keep their hands on the Mutua Madrid Open crown. In the women’s competition, only two players have managed to win the event in two consecutive years: Serena Williams (2012-13) and Simona Halep (2016-17). Since then, a successful title defence in the Spanish capital has proved something of a mission […]