The Madrid Open has been one of the most successful events of Aryna Sabalenka’s career, with the Belarusian lifting the title on two separate occasions.
Sabalenka triumphed in both 2021 and 2023, also finishing as the runner-up in 2024, and a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Peyton Stearns on Tuesday was her 20th match win in the Spanish capital.
It is undoubtedly an impressive milestone for the world No 1 and, since the tournament launched as a WTA 1000 event in 2009, only one woman has hit 20 match wins in Madrid playing fewer matches.
In total, five women have achieved 20 match wins in Madrid in 25 matches or fewer.
=3) Petra Kvitova – 25 matches
To date, Kvitova is the only woman to win the Madrid Open title three times, triumphing in 2011, 2015, and 2018.
That means it comes as no surprise to see the former world No 2 on this list, with the Czech taking just 25 matches to hit the 20-win milestone.
Making her event debut when the tournament launched in 2009, Kvitova’s 20th main-draw came in 2016, with the then-defending champion defeating Elena Vesnina in round two.
=3) Simona Halep – 25 matches
Another woman who claimed multiple titles in Madrid, Halep won back-to-back crowns at the tournament in 2016 and 2017, and reached further finals in 2014 and 2019.
The Romanian also took just 25 matches to hit the 20-win milestone, with the event proving to be one of the most successful of the former world No 1’s career.
After making her main-draw bow in 2011, Halep’s milestone 20th match win came when she beat qualifier Krystina Pliskova in the round of 16 in 2018.
=3) Maria Sharapova – 25 matches
One of her generation’s most successful clay-court players, Sharapova was the Madrid Open runner-up in 2013 before beating Halep in the 2014 final to lift her sole title.
Much like the Romanian and Kvitova, the Russian took just 25 matches to record 20 match wins in the Spanish capital, following her tournament debut in 2010.
Sharapova’s 20th win came when she returned to the tournament after her suspension in 2017, defeating 17th seed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in round one.
2) Aryna Sabalenka – 24 matches
Now sitting ahead of fellow multiple-time Grand Slam champions Sharapova, Halep, and Kvitova is Sabalenka, who has taken just 24 matches to claim a 20th win in Madrid.
Sabalenka made her main-draw debut in 2018, though she was beaten in round one that year and also in 2019, not winning a match until 2021 – when she beat Ashleigh Barty in the final for her first title.
The Belarusian triumphed for the second time in 2023 with a victory over Iga Swiatek in the final, and then reached the championship match again in 2024 before defeat to Swiatek.
Victory over Marta Kostyuk in Wednesday’s quarter-final would be her 21st at the event.
1) Serena Williams – 22 matches
Out in front is Williams, who lost just two of her first 22 matches at the Madrid Open.
The American tasted defeat in two of her first 3 matches at the event, retiring injured against Francesca Schiavone in her opening match in 2009, before a round of 16 loss to Nadia Petrova in 2010.
However, the American then won 19 straight matches in Madrid, winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 with championship match victories over Victoria Azarenka and Sharapova, respectively.
