Aryna Sabalenka’s dominance in Madrid continued on Monday afternoon.
Sabalenka, the world number one, improved her record in the Spanish capital to 26-4 after beating Naomi Osaka 6-7, 6-3, 6-2.
The Belarusian will play Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals after the American defeated 12th seed Belinda Bencic on Monday.
Sabalenka is seeking history at this year’s event; she could become the first player in Madrid Open WTA history to win four titles.
As evidenced by her record, Sabalenka has been dominant in Madrid throughout her career.
With that being said, who has she lost to at the WTA 1000 event?
Bernarda Pera
Sabalenka made her debut at the Madrid Open in 2018 after defeating Carlota Martinez Cirez and Olga Danilovic in qualifying.
The Belarusian had a great opportunity to notch her first main-draw victory at the event after being drawn against fellow qualifier Bernarda Pera.
How many Grand Slams will Aryna Sabalenka win this year?
She looks unstoppable right now!
The Croatian-American proved too strong for Sabalenka, winning the contest 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
Pera’s journey ended in the very next round, when she was defeated by British WTA 1000 champion Johanna Konta.
Svetlana Kuznetsova
A year later, Sabalenka returned to Madrid a much-improved player.
The future four-time major champion was the 10th seed at the 2019 Madrid Open, and she was drawn against two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round.
Sabalenka was again unable to advance, losing the contest 5-7, 4-6.
“It just brings confidence before the French Open and everything,” Kuznetsova told the WTA, as reported by Tennis.com.
“I’m not seeded, so I don’t know who I’m going to get. I realise this is what makes me play good.
“These big events are what brings the best of me.”
Amanda Anisimova
Sabalenka won her first Madrid Open title in 2021, beating two-time major champion Ashleigh Barty in the final.
A year later, Sabalenka was stunned in the first round by American youngster Amanda Anisimova.
The occasion marked Anisimova’s fourth consecutive victory over Sabalenka on the WTA Tour.
“It’s always enjoyable to accept the challenge, even when it’s a tough match, and push yourself and see how far you can go,” Anisimova said after her 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory.
“I enjoy these matches, even though they’re very tough … especially when you get to win them.”
Anisimova went on to reach the quarter-finals, before losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Iga Świątek
In 2023, Aryna Sabalenka overcame the challenge of Iga Swiatek in the Madrid Open final, defeating the Polish superstar 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the Caja Magica.
A year later, Swiatek had her revenge.
Swiatek saved three championship points against the Belarusian before completing a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 victory in the Spanish capital.
“Who is going to say that women’s tennis is boring now?” Swiatek said after the thrilling contest. “Congrats as well to Aryna, because we both had an amazing effort today.
She later added: “It’s always a challenge playing against you [Sabalenka], so thank you for motivating me and forcing me to be a better player.”
