Aryna Sabalenka surged into her second straight clay-court semifinal at the Mutua Madrid Open on Wednesday, navigating windy—and later rainy—conditions to defeat Marta Kostyuk in two tight sets, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7).
“That was a battle and the conditions were incredibly tough,” Sabalenka said on court after the match. “It wasn’t about tennis, it was about the way you handle your emotions. I think I did that really well and I’m super proud I was able to handle myself in such a difficult situation.”
The world No. 1 completed the semifinal line-up, joining defending champion Iga Swiatek, No. 4 seed Coco Gauff and next opponent Elina Svitolina after two hours and 32 minutes on Manolo Santana Stadium.
A two-time champion in Madrid, Sabalenka had dropped just one set in her first three matches at the Caja Magica, rallying to beat former doubles partner Elise Mertens. In her fourth round, she enjoyed a decisive win over American Peyton Stearns, who had pushed her to a third-set tiebreaker in their last match at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open.
No. 24 seed Kostyuk stood between Sabalenka and the semis, having rounded into form after two three-setters to make quick work of Anastasia Potapova in the Round of 16.
