Aryna Sabalenka draws comparisons to Federer and Djokovic after Madrid win

Aryna Sabalenka claimed her first clay court win of the season, defeating Peyton Stearns in straight sets at the Madrid Open.

The world number two was made to work hard by Stearns, but eventually came through with a 7-5, 6-3 victory. This win marked her second straight on clay this year after starting the season with back-to-back defeats.

Sabalenka admitted after the match that she still had areas to improve on clay. She’ll get another opportunity in her next match against Jaqueline Cristian.

The 27-year-old has been receiving plenty of praise lately, including from Eugenie Bouchard. The former world number five even drew comparisons between Sabalenka’s recent form and that of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

How Eugenie Bouchard described Aryna Sabalenka’s dominance

Sabalenka has dropped just one match so far this year, a defeat to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final. Since then, she’s racked up 24 wins, a stretch that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Bouchard.

“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.

Bouchard added: “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.”

If Sabalenka can win again this year, she’ll add a fourth title in Madrid after victories in 2021 and 2023.

Sabalenka’s curious Madrid Open history

Sabalenka could be in line for a fourth Madrid Open title in 2026, but her record at the tournament is far from straightforward dominance.

While she has reached four finals and won three titles, Sabalenka has also experienced several early exits over the years.

The world number one has been knocked out in the first round just as many times as she’s lifted the trophy – three times each.

Those early exits came in 2018, 2019, and 2022. It’s an odd pattern for someone who has otherwise had so much success at the event.

This could be down to the fact that Madrid is often her first clay court event of the season, but either way, it’s a notable record worth keeping an eye on.

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