Aryna Sabalenka has reached another WTA semi-final at the Madrid Open after beating Marta Kostyuk.
Sabalenka lost to Jelena Ostapenko in the Stuttgart final prior to heading to the Spanish capital, but it does not appear to have left any sort of hangover on the world number one.
En route to reaching the last four in Madrid, Sabalenka has surprised even herself after beating the likes of Elise Mertens, Peyton Stearns and Kostyuk.
After Sabalenka lost in the Madrid Open final last year, she has now moved closer to reclaiming the title.
Aryna Sabalenka equals Grand Slam champion’s after reaching Madrid Open semi-final
After Sabalenka beat Kostyuk, 7-6(4) 7-6(7), she made WTA history at the Madrid Open.
The Belarusian is now into her fourth semi-final at the Madrid Open, something that only two-time Grand Slam champion’s Petra Kvitova and the recently retired Simona Halep have previously done before.
Kvitova has won more singles titles than any other WTA player at the Madrid Open with three, while Halep has won the clay court tournament twice.
Sabalenka now has the opportunity to equal Kvitova, as she looks to win her third title at the Madrid Open title.
The 26-year-old has never previously lost a semi-final in Madrid, and two out of the previous years she has gone onto lift the title.
| Year | Sabalenka’s Semi-final Result | Sabalenka’s Madrid Open Result |
| 2021 | Sabalenka beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-2 6-3 | Won the title |
| 2023 | Sabalenka beat Maria Sakkari, 6-4 6-1 | Won the title |
| 2024 | Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina, 1-6 7-5 7-6(5) | Lost in the final |
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elina Svitolina Head-to-head
If Sabalenka is to continue her 100% Madrid Open semi-final record she will have to overcome another Ukrainian in Elina Svitolina.
This will be the sixth meeting between the pair, with Sabalenka leading the head-to-head after beating Svitolina four times.
Three of their five previous matches have come on clay courts, including Svitolina’s only victory at the Strasbourg Open in 2020.
| Year | Tournament | Result |
| 2018 | Wuhan Open | Sabalenka beat Svitolina, 6-4 2-6 6-1 |
| 2020 | Strasbourg Open | Svitolina beat Sabalenka, 6-2 4-6 6-4 |
| 2023 | Roland Garros | Sabalenka beat Svitolina, 6-4 6-4 |
| 2024 | Italian Open | Sabalenka beat Svitolina, 4-6 6-1 7-6(7) |
| 2024 | Cincinnati Open | Sabalenka beat Svitolina, 7-5 6-2 |
Svitolina is yet to drop a set so far in Madrid, with her latest victory coming against Moyuka Uchijima for the loss of just three games.
This is already the former world number three’s best career result at the Madrid Open, as she had never previously surpassed the second round.
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