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All eyes will be on last year’s finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek as the Tour makes its stop at the Madrid Open 2024, scheduled to be held in the Spanish capital between April 23 to May 5.
There is a strong field featuring a vast majority of the top-20 players looking to challenge Swiatek and Sabalenka’s dominance. Some, however, have fared better at the tournament than others given their particular skill sets.
With main draw action being just days away, here is a look at the top contenders for the Madrid Open crown:
#5 Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff is often among the favorites to win a title at every tournament she plays and the Madrid Open is no different.
That said, the youngster needs to tread cautiously as she has a notoriously poor 3-3 (50%) record in the Spanish capital. She has only reached the third round on a couple of occasions, besides having exited in the first round on her debut in 2021.
That said, Gauff has improved a lot since the last time she was in Madrid. A Grand Slam title and a new career-high on World No. 3 is a testament to that improvement.
The American is also better equipped to handle pace now and plays with more aggression. Those little adjustments may just help her better her lackluster record.
#4 Defending Madrid Open champ Aryna Sabalenka
Defending a crown is never easy and things will be no different for Aryna Sabalenka, who lifted the Madrid Open trophy 12 months ago.
The Belarusian has, however, shown that she’s got what it takes to go back-to-back on the big stage as she claimed her second consecutive Australian Open title to start her season.
Her form has been up and down since. She also has had to deal with a personal tragedy, and while she has played a few matches since, how well she can recover mentally will only get clearer with time.
Game-wise, Sabalenka’s firepower proved too much for the field in the Spanish capital last year. If she is there 100% mentally, a title defense may well materialize.
#4 Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula has not had the best of the seasons so far but has begun showing signs of revival.
After a poor swing Down Under where she bowed out early at both the United Cup and Australian Open, the American has bounced back to claim three semifinal finishes — the most recent of which came on the clay courts of Charleston.
Pegula also enjoys playing in Madrid more than the other clay tournaments given that the balls tend to fly a little quicker through the air, suiting her flat groundstrokes.
A former finalist, Pegula reached the summit clash in 2021 only to lose to Ons Jabeur in three sets. She has a solid 9-3 (75%) win-loss at the tournament and that could improve further this year.
#2 Elena Rybakina
Much like Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina’s past record in Madrid does not inspire confidence immediately.
However, the Kazakh has all the elements needed to succeed in the conditions. Her big serve, pacey groundstrokes, and aggressive intent often draw comparisons to Petra Kvitova — the most successful women’s singles player at the Madrid Open.
For Rybakina, the key to improving her 3-3 (50%) record at Madrid will lie in finding her stride on the serve.
When dialed in, the Kazakh can be virtually impossible to break and that immediately shifts the pressure onto her opponent’s service games. Rybakina has gotten some good matches under her belt on clay in Stuttgart and could build on that.
#1 Iga Swiatek
Madrid Open is the one big claycourt title missing from Iga Swiatek’s cabinet, who has won three French Open and two Italian Open and Stuttgart wins each to her name.
The Pole came close to completing the set last year but fell to a red-hot Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash. Back and raring to go, Swiatek will take some stopping in Madrid where she has gone 7-2 (78%) in her two appearances.
The World No. 1 has put together a strong 2024 season, boasting of a 23-3 win-loss. Her clay season also got off to a clean start with a straight-sets win over Elise Mertens in Stuttgart.
Swiatek’s topspin-heavy forehand is one of the most effective weapons on clay that women’s game has to offer currently. Barring any fatigue issues (depending on how her campaign in Stuttgart goes), she should be the favorite heading into Madrid.
