Does Sabalenka contradict himself? What he said before the super duel with Swiatek, after saying that he prefers to see the ATP circuit

The final in Madrid promises to be a big one, with Iga Swiatek (1 WTA) dueling Aryna Sabalenka (2 WTA) in what will be a repeat of last year’s trophy match. The Pole had no emotions in the first semifinal, in which she beat Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3, and on Saturday evening, from 7:30 p.m. Romanian time, she will have the opportunity to rematch, because Sabalenka beat o in 2023, score 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. In total, Iga and Aryna have faced each other 9 times, and the world leader leads 6-3 in head-to-head matches.

If Swiatek seeks her first title on clay at the Caja Magica, Sabalenka can become only the 2nd player in history to win 3 trophies in the Spanish capital, after Petra Kvitova. Apart from last year’s success, the Belarusian also triumphed in Madrid in 2021, when she defeated Ash Barty in the final.

Ahead of tonight’s game, Sabalenka announced her strategy and how she prepared to beat the world number one and defend her title from last year.

Even though she said a few days ago that she doesn’t like watching matches on the women’s circuit, preferring instead those on the ATP, Sabalenka announced that she took notes for the final by rewatching some of the Pole’s matches.

“It will be an amazing final. With Iga we have had some great matches in the past, some very tough battles.

I am very excited about participating in this final and I will do my best to win.

We’re both improving, making adjustments throughout the year, so I’ll be watching her matches to see if I need to change anything. But once again the main strategy will be to focus on myself, stay aggressive and trust my shots.” said title holder and world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka ahead of the Madrid Open final.