World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka insists she is looking only positively on her Madrid Open run despite failing to defend her title at Caja Magica in a heartbreaking way.
On Saturday, Sabalenka was playing her first final since beating Zheng Qinwen in the Australian Open. Playing against top-seeded Swiatek, Sabalenka came inches away from winning their thriller final but ultimately fell just short after the Pole saved three championship points to outlast the Belarusian 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7) in over three hours of play.
In the third set, Sabalenka opened an early 3-1 lead – Swiatek managed to get the break back – but the Belarusian had two match points on the Pole’s serve in the 12th game. After failing to convert any of her two match points in the 12th game of the third set, Sabalenka missed out on another match point in the tie-break before Swiatek realized her second match point.
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek © Getty Images Sport – Clive Brunskill
Moments after the final ended, Sabalenka evidently looked disappointed – but who wouldn’t be after losing a WTA 1000 final in such a way.
Sabalenka asked how she now feels a couple of days after her Madrid final loss
“There is lots of positives from Madrid. I fought back, I found my game. I bring everything back together and start playing on high level. I fought couple of really tough battles against top players there and I got some wins. Was close to get another title. But yeah, it is how it is,” Sabalenka said ahead of Rome.
“I’m still happy with those couple of weeks. Yeah, I would take (them) as good weeks than bad.”
In Rome, Sabalenka had a first-round bye as the second-seeded player and she will start her campaign from the second round by playing against either Katie Volynets or Wang Yafan.
Sabalenka was a Rome semifinalist in 2022 and this year she will try to win her first Rome title in her sixth appearance at Foro Italico.
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