World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had a significantly smoother path to victory against American Peyton Stearns in their recent meeting at the Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday, unlike their previous encounter which was a nail-biter.
Sabalenka, ranked number one globally, defeated the 44th-ranked Stearns with a score of 6-2, 6-4 at the Caja Magica venue. This win marks her progression to the Madrid quarterfinals for the fourth time within the last five years. A two-time champion of the event (2021 and 2023), Sabalenka has now accumulated 20 career match wins at the Madrid Open.
Following this match, Sabalenka now leads the tour alone in match victories for the current year. Tuesday`s triumph was her 28th tour-level win in 2025, placing her ahead of Jessica Pegula, who has 27 wins this season.
The top seed, Sabalenka, is set to compete against the winner of the late Tuesday match between 24th seed Marta Kostyuk and 39th-ranked Anastasia Potapova. Sabalenka holds a favorable head-to-head record against both potential opponents, being 2-0 against Kostyuk and 1-0 against Potapova.
Top Seed Takes the Rematch
Their only prior match occurred in the second round of Indian Wells in 2024, where Stearns pushed Sabalenka to the brink. In that match, Stearns had multiple opportunities to win, serving for the match twice and holding four match points in total. However, Sabalenka, then world number 2, showed great resilience and ultimately won in a third-set tiebreak.
Despite the straight-sets scoreline, Tuesday`s rematch in Madrid was more challenging than it might appear, with Stearns creating numerous opportunities during Sabalenka`s service games. Nevertheless, Sabalenka demonstrated strength during critical points. She maintains an undefeated record this season against players ranked outside the Top 40, standing at 14-0.
Steely on Break Points
Sabalenka`s composure and tenacity when facing break points were crucial in securing a seemingly comfortable scoreline in the first set, despite the games being anything but easy. In the first set alone, Stearns had ten break point chances, but Sabalenka successfully saved every single one. While Sabalenka`s first serve accuracy was only 53% in the opener, she won an impressive 83% of points when her first serve landed, which was key to neutralizing Stearns` early threats.
Stearns finally converted a break point on her thirteenth attempt, leveling the score at 3-3 in the second set. She then held her serve to take a 4-3 lead, suggesting the match might extend into another three-set battle.
However, Sabalenka quickly ended that possibility. She played some of her most focused and powerful shots of the day to claim the next three games consecutively and seal her latest victory. Throughout the match, Sabalenka successfully converted four of her seven break point opportunities and hit 22 winners compared to Stearns` 13.
