Aryna Sabalenka isn’t just winning matches anymore, she’s stacking milestones. On Saturday, the World No. 1 added another jewel to her crown with a gritty 6-3, 7-6(3) win over World No. 4 Coco Gauff in the WTA 1000 final at the Mutua Madrid Open. It was her third title at the Spanish capital, and her second WTA 1000 trophy in a row this season. It wasn’t a walk in the park but hardwork has it’s rewards. And with this win she has matched a record by the all time greats- 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.

Coco Gauff, hungry for her first title of the year and a shot at reclaiming the No. 2 ranking, made Sabalenka sweat. The 21-year-old American saved four break points in the second set and even held a set point at 5-4. Sabalenka stayed calm, held her serve, and stormed through the tiebreak to seal the match in 1 hour and 39 minutes.

With this win, Sabalenka now ties Petra Kvitova for the most titles (3) in Madrid’s tournament history. Kvitova’s wins came in 2011, 2015, and 2018. Sabalenka’s? 2021, 2023, and now 2025. She was also the runner-up last year, falling to Iga Swiatek in the final.

Speaking of records, this Madrid win puts the Belarusian right next to a name that still echoes across tennis history: Serena Williams. Only one player had ever won both Miami and Madrid in the same season—Serena, back in 2013. That year, Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in back-to-back finals: 4–6, 6–3, 6–0 in Miami, and then 6–1, 6–4 in Madrid. Now, Sabalenka has done it too, a whole 12 years later.

There’s more. Sabalenka has now won her first three clay court titles only at one event, Madrid each time. She becomes just the second player in the Open Era to achieve that rare feat after, you guessed it, Serena Williams. Back in 2024, the 26-year-old said something that hits even harder now. “I always wanted to dominate the tour like Serena did, like Iga was able to do for so long,” she told Arab News. “It’s really inspiring … but I’m trying to focus on myself, on improving myself, to make sure that I have all of the tools to dominate the tour as they did.”

Well, she’s doing just that. With the win over Gauff, Sabalenka extended her 2025 record against Top 10 players to a perfect 6-0. She’s reached six finals this year, and this was her third title after winning in Brisbane and Miami. Her finals record for 2025 now stands at 3-3, and overall, she’s 20-17 in WTA finals. She’s also leaving Iga Swiatek behind in the rankings. The Madrid title pushes Sabalenka’s lead over the Pole to more than 4,000 points, giving her even more breathing room at the top.

And in this domination, she’s staying as gracious as ever.

Aryna Sabalenka sends love to Coco Gauff after tough Madrid Open final

While the match was tense, the vibes afterward were warm. Aryna Sabalenka’s head-to-head with Gauff is now all square at 5-5. Gauff had won their previous battle at the 2024 WTA Finals, but Sabalenka flipped the script this time.

In her victory speech, the Belarusian didn’t hold back her respect for her opponent. “I’m super happy to see you back in the finals, playing your best tennis,”she said. “I’m pretty sure we’re gonna play many more times in the finals. I hope I’m gonna get all of them, but I always enjoy fighting against you. You’re such a fighter.”

Coco Gauff returned the love and said, “You’re always tough to face. Congrats to your team! Well, you’re always doing well – but the last four straight finals I think. Congrats on all the success you’ve been having.”

Next up for the World No.1 is the Italian Open in Rome, where she was runner-up last year to Iga Swiatek. This time, she’ll be hoping to go one better. Three Madrid titles. Ten WTA 1000s. A great clay season so far. Can anyone stop Aryna Sabalenka on the red dirt?