Aryna Sabalenka has now won more singles titles in 2025 than any other player on the WTA Tour.
The world number one had enjoyed a fantastic start to her 2025 season, picking up a WTA 500 title in Brisbane and a WTA 1000 title in Miami.
Looking to become the first player in the women’s game to win three titles in 2025, Sabalenka looked determined throughout the Madrid Open.
After Sabalenka took down Elina Svitolina in her semi-final match, fans looked forward in anticipation to her tenth career meeting with America’s Coco Gauff in the final.
Tying the head-to-head at 5-5, Sabalenka beat Gauff, 6-3, 7-6, to lift her third title of the year.
After the match, Sabalenka revealed what she thinks the ‘key’ to her victory was.
Aryna Sabalenka says focusing on herself was the ‘key’ to her Madrid Open win over Coco Gauff
Speaking to Sky Sports, the world number one reflected on her 20th WTA title win.
“I would say overall the match was going really well until that early break in the second set, and then I was trying to come back in the match,” said Sabalenka.
“I found my rhythm on the serve back, and then I was trying to put as much pressure as I could on the serve.
“I am really glad in that tricky game at 4-5, I was able to break her back.
“That was really intense at the end of the match. I think the key was that I was focusing on myself and playing point by point without overthinking stuff.”
Sabalenka then recalled what she was thinking to herself before winning the second-set tiebreak.
“Honestly I was standing there thinking ‘you have pretty good stats on the tiebreak so you have got this’” she said.
“Go for your shots and trust yourself, the biggest issue is that you start doubting your decisions.
“On that tiebreak, I was like, whatever I have in my mind, I go for it.”
Sabalenka had won five of her six tiebreaks in 2025 ahead of the second-set breaker against Gauff.
| Match | Opponent | Tiebreak score | Tiebreak result |
| 2025 Madrid Open – QF (Set 2) | Marta Kostyuk | 9-7 | Win |
| 2025 Madrid Open – QF (Set 1) | Marta Kostyuk | 7-4 | Win |
| 2025 Indian Wells – 2R (Set 1) | McCartney Kessler | 7-4 | Win |
| 2025 Qatar Open – 2R (Set 3) | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 5-7 | Loss |
| 2025 Australian Open – 3R (Set 1) | Clara Tauson | 7-5 | Win |
| 2025 Brisbane International – 3R (Set 1) | Yulia Putintseva | 7-2 | Win |
Her 7-3 second-set tiebreak win in Saturday’s final saw her record extend to 6-1 this year (86%).
Unsurprisingly pleased with her victory, Sabalenka outlined how she and her team plan to celebrate.
“I think we are going out, and definitely we are going to have some drinks,” she said.
“Definitely, I am going to go for a tequila, I deserve it.
“It’s my birthday on Monday and I am not going to drink because it’s Rome coming, so I am going to celebrate my birthday today and the win.”
Aryna Sabalenka tops table for WTA title wins in 2025
The Belarusian has now won three singles titles in 2025, more than any other player on the WTA Tour.
She had previously been tied with Mirra Andreeva, Madison Keys, and Jessica Pegula on two, but now stands alone at the top.
| Titles won | Name | Grand Slams won | WTA 1000’s won | WTA 500’s won | WTA 250’s won |
| 3 | Aryna Sabalenka | 0 | 2 (Miami Open, Madrid Open) | 1 (Brisbane International) | 0 |
| 2 | Madison Keys | 1 (Australian Open) | 0 | 1 (Adelaide International) | 0 |
| 2 | Mirra Andreeva | 0 | 2 (Dubai Tennis Championships, Indian Wells) | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Jessica Pegula | 0 | 0 | 1 (Charleston Open) | 1 (ATX Open) |
| 1 | Amanda Anisimova | 0 | 1 (Qatar Open) | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 0 | 0 | 1 (Linz Open) | 0 |
| 1 | Jelena Ostapenko | 0 | 0 | 1 (Stuttgart Open) | 0 |
| 1 | Belinda Bencic | 0 | 0 | 1 (Abu Dhabi Open) | 0 |
| 1 | Emma Navarro | 0 | 0 | 1 (Merida Open) | 0 |
| 1 | Clara Tauson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (Auckland Open) |
| 1 | Elina Svitolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (Rouen Open) |
| 1 | Elise Mertens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (Singapore Open) |
| 1 | McCartney Kessler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (Hobart International) |
| 1 | Anastasia Potopova | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (Transylvania Open) |
| 1 | Camila Osorio | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (Copa Colsanitas) |
The only thing missing for the 26-year-old in 2025 is a Grand Slam title, which she came so close to winning in Melbourne, as Sabalenka lost to Keys in the final, 3-6, 6-2, 5-7.
Fresh off of winning her third clay-court WTA 1000 title in Madrid, Sabalenka will no doubt be feeling confident ahead of next month’s French Open, where she’ll look to get her hands on the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup for the first time.
Before then, Sabalenka will head over to Rome, as she looks to return to the Italian Open final and go one better than she did last year.
The 2025 Italian Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 5.
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