Aryna Sabalenka is starting to make Madrid feel like her happy hunting ground. On Saturday night, the Belarusian claimed her third Mutua Madrid Open title, defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6(3) in a hard-fought final. With this win, Sabalenka ties Petra Kvitova for the most titles in the tournament’s history—three apiece. She had previously lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2023 and was runner-up to Iga Swiatek in 2024. Now that’s not just good form, it’s serious consistency. So what’s the secret behind this victory? A former WTA pro is decoding exactly that!

The World No.1’s latest win didn’t come easy. Sabalenka made a blistering start, at one point winning 17 points in a row. But Gauff didn’t go quietly. The American clawed her way back into the second set, even leading 5-3 at one point. She saved six break points after Sabalenka levelled things at 5-5, refusing to back down. But under pressure, the 26-year-old was ice-cold. She eventually edged past Gauff in a tiebreak, closing out her sixth final of the year. The Madrid title now joins her other 2025 trophies in Brisbane and Miami. That’s three tour-level titles already, more than any other player, man or woman, this season.

Sabalenka and Gauff are now tied 5-5 in their head-to-head. The American had won their last meeting in the 2024 WTA Finals semi-final. But this time, the Belarusian had her strategy locked in.

Former Russian WTA player Dinara Safina highlighted what Sabalenka does differently. Talking to another former Russian WTA pro, Anna Chakvetadze, she said, “When the tournament starts, she only plays with sparring, the day before the match they practice tactics for the opponent… The whole training is based on a match with Coco, Annton plays along like Coco.”

Anton Dubrov continues to serve as Aryna Sabalenka’s head coach. Before taking on the role, Dubrov had already been part of her team as a hitting partner. A former player himself, he started playing tennis when he was just five years old and comes from a coaching family—his grandfather is the well-known coach Eduard Dubrov. Sabalenka appointed Dubrov as her head coach in 2020, and the two have now been working together for more than four years. Alongside Dubrov, Sabalenka also relies on Jason Stacy, who acts as her fitness coach and physiotherapist.

The team’s focused approach showed on the court. Sabalenka’s strong baseline game forced Gauff into errors. The American also struggled with her serve, hitting a string of double faults that disrupted her rhythm. Even as Gauff began to settle into the match, Sabalenka kept up the pressure, winning 67 per cent of her service points and staying aggressive throughout.

Even Coco Gauff gave her credit. After the match, the 21-year-old American said, “I feel like she just got a lot better in everything. 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.”

She further continued, “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.”

Aryna Sabalenka has reached six finals already this year. That includes three wins and three losses: in the Australian Open final to Madison Keys, Indian Wells to Mirra Andreeva, and Stuttgart to Jelena Ostapenko. Now, her attention shifts to the Italian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka’s road to the finals in Rome

The top seed will begin her Rome campaign against the winner of Dayana Yastremska vs Anastasia Potapova. In the second round, she could face a motivated Sofia Kenin. After that, things may heat up. She could run into one of Alexandra Eala, Marta Kostyuk, or Daria Kasatkina. 

The real test begins in the quarterfinals, where a matchup with eighth seed Zheng Qinwen or 11th seed Elena Rybakina could be on the cards. While Sabalenka leads Zheng 6-0 in their head-to-head, Rybakina is a different challenge. Though she’s been struggling recently, she’s still a dangerous opponent on any given day. And the most exciting part? A rematch of the Madrid final could happen in the semifinals in Rome, with Coco Gauff on a collision course with the Belarusian.

And all roads, of course, lead to Paris. Aryna Sabalenka reached the Roland Garros semifinals in 2023 and followed that with a quarterfinal finish in 2024. With her current form, she’ll be one of the favourites to win this time. Will Sabalenka’s hot streak carry her all the way to a French Open crown? Let us know what you think!