Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk will contest this year’s Madrid Open final.
The top eight seeds failed to reach the semi-finals in Madrid, as the door opened for others to take advantage.
Kostyuk and Andreeva didn’t need to be asked twice, as they outperformed the opposition to reach the final.
Who do you think will win the women’s Madrid Open final? 🏆
And while the star power is perhaps lacking, this year’s Madrid Open final is a real step forward for women’s tennis.
Both Madrid Open finalists are coached by women
The 2026 Madrid Open final will be contested by two players who are coached by women, something that doesn’t happen all that often.
Former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez coaches Andreeva, while Sandra Zaniewska coaches Kostyuk.
Interestingly enough, Andreeva and Kostyuk are the only two players sitting in the ‘Live WTA Race’ top 10 who are coached by women.
Live WTA Race
| Rank | Name | Country | Points | Coach/Coaches |
| 1 | Elena Rybakina | Kazakhstan | 4,103 | Stefano Vukov |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka | Belarus | 4,015 | Anton Dubrov |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 2,970 | Mark Knowles/Mark Merklein |
| 4 | Mirra Andreeva | Russia | 2,713 | Conchita Martinez |
| 5 | Elina Svitolina | Ukraine | 2,460 | Andrew Bettles |
| 6 | Karolina Muchova | Czechia | 2,270 | Sven Groeneveld |
| 7 | Victoria Mboko | Canada | 1,937 | – |
| 8 | Coco Gauff | USA | 1,923 | Gavin MacMillan |
| 9 | Marta Kostyuk | Ukraine | 1,365 | Sandra Zaniewska |
| 10 | Belinda Bencic | Switzerland | 1,307 | Iain Hughes |
Martinez and Zaniewska have established themselves as two of the best coaches in the sport.
Not just the best women’s coaches, but the best coaches.
This year’s Madrid Open final is proof that women can coach at the highest level and will hopefully open up more opportunities for others.
Judy Murray, a big supporter of women’s tennis, shared her thoughts on the Madrid Open final on X.
“Great to see this,” said Murray.
Only time will tell which coach will guide their player to victory.
Andreeva and Kostyuk will battle it out for the Madrid Open title on Saturday, May 2.
Conchita Martinez and Sandra Zaniewska’s verdict on women in coaching
Appearing as a guest on ‘Daily Dani‘ in 2025, Martinez explained that passion, not gender, is the most important factor in the success of a coach.
“I’m really passionate with what I do, and I think that shows and that helps to give the player what they need,” said Martinez.
“I really enjoy my time when it’s like this, I have a lot of fun with Mirra [Andreeva], we have an incredible connection.
“But with all of my players, I always feel that if they see me passionate, it helps.”
Appearing on the ‘Inside In‘ podcast last year, Zaniewska shared her thoughts on the lack of women’s coaches.
“I think the female coaches’ subject has been brought up so many times over the past couple of years, and things are changing little by little,” she said.
“It’s not going that fast, but I was talking about it at the US Open with someone, the only thing, maybe not the only thing, but the thing that will move it forward quicker is having one of the female coaches enjoying an unbelievable result with a player, whether it’s winning a Slam or winning some Masters, doing it consistently.
“We’ve had Conchita [Martinez] this year that did a great job with Mirra [Andreeva], and again it pushes the needle forward a little bit, but I think we need a bit more consistency in that.
“I hope that I can contribute as well for female coaches, but also for Marta [Kostyuk].”
Zaniewska and Martinez have both made significant ‘contributions’ in Madrid.
