World number one Aryna Sabalenka saw off a spirited second-set comeback from fourth seed Coco Gauff to seal a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory and secure her third Madrid Open crown on Saturday. The three-time Grand Slam champion added a third WTA Tour title of the year to her impressive 2024 campaign.

Sabalenka, who has now featured in the last three finals of the prestigious WTA 1000 event in Madrid, equalled Petra Kvitová’s record of three titles at the tournament. Her triumph also brought her head-to-head record with Gauff level at five wins apiece in their 10 encounters.

“I always enjoy fighting against you — you’re such a fighter,” Sabalenka said to Gauff during the trophy presentation. “I’m super happy I was able to win this year.”

The Belarusian dominated early in the match, reeling off four consecutive games without dropping a single point to race into a 4-1 lead in the opening set. Although Gauff, the reigning US Open champion, pulled a break back to close the gap to 4-2, Sabalenka responded with another break to seal the set.

Gauff appeared to be mounting a serious challenge in the second set, breaking Sabalenka to go 2-1 up and later stretching her lead to 5-3. However, serving for the set, the American faltered with a string of double faults, allowing Sabalenka to level at 5-5. The match proceeded to a tiebreak, where Sabalenka held her nerve to close out the win in straight sets.

“Incredible tournament — you’re always tough to face,” Gauff told Sabalenka during the post-match ceremony. “Congratulations on all the success that you’re having. Hopefully, I can be back in this position next year.”

Sabalenka’s victory also marked her sixth consecutive win over top-10 ranked opponents this year, all achieved without conceding a single set — a testament to her current dominance on the tour.