Swiatek completes revenge mission in mesmerising Madrid final

Women's world number one Iga Swiatek became queen of the Spanish clay for the first time in her career with an absorbing three-set win over Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Madrid Open.

The clash between the two highest-ranked players on the globe was a repeat of the 2023 showpiece, which Sabalenka triumphed in, and the Belarusian was just one point away from retaining her crown on Saturday.

Rather than defending her title, though, Sabalenka was deposed, as Swiatek saved all three match points and held her nerve in an unmissable tie-breaker to succeed 7-5, 4-6, 7-6[7] in the longest final of the 2024 season so far.

The world number one and world number two went toe-to-toe for three hours and 11 minutes in the Spanish capital, and . . .