By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday April 21, 2025
Iga Swiatek’s title defense at the Madrid Open represents a gauntlet of potential revenge matches for the five-time major champion.
It could start with a second-round encounter with 19-year-old sensation Alexandra Eala, pending a first-round clash for the 72nd-ranked Filipina against Viktoriya Tomova. Eala famously stunned Swiatek in the quarterfinals at Miami last month.
Next up for Swiatek could be a battle with 31st-seeded Linda Noskova of Czechia in the third round. To be fair, Swiatek has already got three doses of revenge against Noskova after falling to her at the Australian Open in 2024, the last two victories coming in three sets.
Madrid WTA draw is out with a potential R16 between…Swiatek and Ostapenko pic.twitter.com/Hlueb2y79O
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) April 20, 2025
The most glaring matchup lingering in Swiatek’s path is a potential round of 16 clash with Jelena Ostapenko. The Latvian, fresh off the Stuttgart title, is 6-0 lifetime against Swiatek and defeated her last week in the semifinals on the red clay.
If Swiatek can find her way to the quarterfinals, and the seeds hold, she would face Madison Keys, the woman who knocked her out of this year’s Australian Open en route to the title.
Swiatek’s potential semifinal opponent would be either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva. It should be noted that Andreeva has won both of her meetings with Swiatek in 2025, a straight set victory in the Dubai quarterfinals and a three-setter at Indian Wells, in the semis.
23-year-old Swiatek, 22-
7 on the season, will bid for her 23rd career title at Madrid.
In the top half of the draw, No.1-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will face a qualifier in the second round – after a bye, and could face Elise Mertens in the third round. If the seeds hold Sabalenka would face Amanda Anisimova in the round of 16, Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals and Jessica Pegula in the semis.
Main draw play begins tomorrow in Madrid.
Notable first round matches in Madrid:
Veronika Kudermetova vs Polina Kudermetova
Suzan Lamens vs Emma Raducanu
McCartney Kessler vs Bianca Andreescu
Wang Xinyu vs Maria Sakkari
Naomi Osaka vs Lucia Bronzetti
Katie Volynets vs Petra Kvitova
Viktoriya Tomova vs Alexandra Eala
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