Aryna Sabalenka picked up her first clay court victory of the season against Peyton Stearns at the Madrid Open.
The world number one was made to work against Stearns, but she eventually managed to come through by a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3.
Sabalenka said she needed to improve on clay after the victory and she will get that chance against Jaqueline Cristian in the next round.
The 27-year-old has received huge praise from Eugenie Bouchard, who even compared her recent run to the form of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Eugenie Bouchard heaps praise on Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka has lost just one match all year, which came against Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.
That run has seen the star reach 24 victories already and Bouchard has been impressed with the world number one.
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“I love it when the season goes to Europe. I think when people go to Europe, they appreciate tennis so much there. It’s huge in the US, but Europe really feels like historical tennis,” she said.
“I love the clay swing, I love the grass swing. I think it’s so fun. I want to see how Sabalenka keeps doing. Can she keep her streak up?
“You have to imagine at some point if it’s going to stop but it doesn’t seem like it will. She seems to be on some GOAT run like a Roger or a Novak. Can she keep it up?
“I feel like the pressure of expectations maybe will catch up to her. But she also has the personality of not letting it get to her, but she also has so much fun and not caring what people think.”
Sabalenka is looking for her fourth Madrid Open title this year, having won the event in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
Aryna Sabalenka’s strange record at the Madrid Open
Sabalenka could win the Madrid Open for a record fourth time in 2026, but she hasn’t always been dominant at the Masters event.
The star has reached four finals, which has resulted in three victories, but she’s also suffered several early exits.
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Sabalenka has been beaten in the first round of the Madrid Open as many times as she has lifted the trophy.
The world number one was surprisingly knocked out at the first stage of the tournament in 2018, 2019, and 2022.
Perhaps the reason for it is because it is often the first clay court event of the year for Sabalenka, but it’s still a curious record.
