Coco Gauff heaps praise on Madrid Open champion Aryna Sabalenka

Playing in her sixth final of the 2025 season, Sabalenka defeated Gauff in straight sets to win the Madrid Open to go with the Miami Open title she won just over a month ago and the Brisbane International at the start of the year.

There is no doubt Sabalenka has been the standout player on the WTA Tour over the last few years as she is 31-5 so far this campaign while she was 56-14 in 2024 â- winning four titles, including the Australian Open and US Open.

Gauff and Sabalenka are now tied 5-5 in their head-to-head rivalry with the American winning their previous encounter in the WTA Finals semi-final last year.

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But the 2021 US Open winner has now lost three of their last four meetings and can attest to the improvements in her rival's game.

"I feel like she just got a lot better in everything," Gauff said. "Probably every time I play her is tough and, yeah, I don't think today she played me any different than the other few, or 10 times we played.

"I think last time we played [in the semi-finals of the 2024 WTA Finals] I was serving better and it went my way.

"Maybe she moves a little bit better, but she's always been tough to play. So, yeah, I think she just probably is more confident, so that's why the consistent results are happening, but she's always been a great player."

Sabalenka herself believes her movement and her net game have been key to her success.

"I'm super happy that we were able to improve my game in, honestly, in everything, the movement, my touch game is much better right now. â¦Kind of like trying to come to the net, I'm not sure if it's really successful so far, but I'm trying," she said.

Gauff, meanwhile, was playing in her first final since she won the WTA Finals in November and despite losing she will return to No 3 in the WTA Rankings while she has moved to within 200 points of second-placed Iga Swiatek.

After a poor first set in which she was broken three times, the 21-year-old had her chances in the second set as she was a break up before the world No 1 stormed back to win 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).

"I hate losing a lot, and especially in finals, because it's like you're so close," the American stated. "I do get ready for these matches and, yeah, I credit it to just how much I hate losing.

"I don't know, today was tough, but obviously if I can lose this and go a few more finals undefeated I'll take that. Each time it's a learning experience, and maybe I needed to feel this loss again to be motivated again, even more motivated for the next one."

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