Aryna Sabalenka completes achievement only Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys have managed after win at the Madrid Open

Follow us on Google Discover

Aryna Sabalenka was forced to come from behind to progress at the Madrid Open, where she edged past Elise Mertens to reach the last 16.

Sabalenka is the top seed at the Madrid Open, which she is taking on after losing the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final.

Jelena Ostapenko beat Sabalenka in Stuttgart earlier this month, but the Belarusian is now back to winning ways in Spain.

Ostapenko was full of praise for Sabalenka after their final, with the latter having enjoyed another strong event on the WTA Tour.

Her focus is now on another WTA 1000 event, with Sabalenka into the last 16 after wins over Anna Blinkova and Mertens.

Aryna Sablenka equals Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys at Madrid Open

She beat the former 6-3, 6-4 and the latter 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, extending her head-to-head record over the Belgian to 10-2.

Such a record sees her follow in the footsteps of WTA rivals Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys, with OptaAce noting that the trio are the only active players to claim 10+ match wins over a single active opponent.

READ MORE: Rennae Stubbs is getting annoyed by what Aryna Sabalenka keeps doing after losing in finals, ‘it’s not funny’

World number two Swiatek boasts an 11-3 record over Coco Gauff, with world number five Madison Keys holding a 10-2 record over Daria Kasatkina.

Aryna Sabalenka surpasses Mirra Andreeva record after latest Madrid Open win

Sabalenka was under real pressure against Mertens, who she beat in the quarter-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix earlier this month.

But the world number one showed all of her fight and experience to come out on top, securing her eighth win from a set down at WTA 1000 events since the start of the 2024 season.

READ MORE: Jelena Ostapenko has just done something no WTA player has since Serena Williams after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final

As per OptaAce, the Belarusian ace has now overtaken the seven of Russian teenage star Mirra Andreeva.

A two-time champion at the Madrid Open, Sabalenka has now reached the last 16 for the fourth time in her career.

She meets the winner of Peyton Stearns and Rebeka Masarova at that stage, with a 20th WTA title very much on the cards.

Two of her 19 career titles have come in 2025 alone, with the three-time Grand Slam champion winning in Brisbane and Miami.