In a gripping quarter-final clash at the 2025 Madrid Open, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka showcased her trademark resilience, edging out Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in a thrilling 7-6(4), 7-6(7) battle that lasted two hours and 32 minutes. The match, played on the clay courts of the Caja Mágica, was a testament to Sabalenka’s ability to thrive under pressure, as she saved a set point in the first set and three more in the second-set tiebreak to secure her spot in the semifinals. However, a contentious moment during the match sparked a heated exchange and led to a scathing remark from Kostyuk, who declared that Sabalenka “is never winning a sportsman’s award,” casting a shadow over the Belarusian’s victory and igniting a debate about sportsmanship in tennis.
The controversy unfolded in the second-set tiebreak, with Kostyuk leading 5-4. As light rain began to fall, Sabalenka, preparing to hit her second serve, paused and asked the chair umpire, Clare Wood, if play could be halted due to the worsening conditions. The umpire initially responded, “I don’t think it’s that bad yet to stop. We can still play a bit,” prompting Sabalenka to return to the baseline. However, after catching her ball toss and refusing to continue, Sabalenka’s persistence led to the match being paused, allowing her to return to her chair. This decision frustrated Kostyuk, who argued that Sabalenka’s actions gave her an unfair advantage, as she would resume with a first serve. “How is this possible? Why is it first serve again? She stopped by herself. Nobody stopped her,” Kostyuk protested to her team during the delay, her frustration culminating in the biting remark: “She is never winning a sportsman’s award, that’s for sure.”
Sabalenka, unfazed by the controversy, later explained her decision, emphasizing the impact of the rain on her performance. “That was a battle. Conditions were incredibly tough. It wasn’t about tennis. It was about how you handle your emotions,” she said in her on-court interview, adding that the rain made serving “impossible.” Her composure paid off, as she held her nerve to win the tiebreak and advance, improving her Madrid Open record to 21-4. The victory marked her third straight semi-final appearance in the tournament, where she has won titles in 2021 and 2023 and finished as runner-up to Iga Swiatek in 2024.
The incident reignited tensions between Sabalenka and Kostyuk, whose rivalry has been strained by geopolitical issues. In 2023, at the French Open, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Sabalenka, citing her lack of public opposition to the Russia-Ukraine war. “I don’t respect her because of how she has positioned herself,” Kostyuk said at the time, a sentiment that appears to linger. The Madrid clash, while purely competitive, highlighted their ongoing friction, with Kostyuk’s sportsmanship jab resonating with fans and analysts on social platforms, where some labeled Sabalenka’s actions as “gamesmanship” rather than outright misconduct.
Sabalenka’s journey in Madrid has been a rollercoaster. After a shaky start against Anna Blinkova, she battled back from a set down to defeat Elise Mertens 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, finding her rhythm on clay. “I was trying to find the rhythm on my serve. The moment I started focusing on the timing, on not rushing the ball, things really clicked,” she said after that match. Her quarter-final win over Kostyuk sets up a blockbuster semi-final against either Coco Gauff or Iga Swiatek, with a potential rematch of last year’s epic final against Swiatek looming. Sabalenka, who has a 6-4 head-to-head edge over Gauff but trails Swiatek 8-4, expressed her hunger for redemption: “Hopefully we can have a rematch in a few days.”
For Kostyuk, the loss was a bitter pill, despite a valiant effort that saw her push the world No. 1 to the brink. Her performance, which included 22 winners and a 104-point second-set tiebreak, underscored her growing prowess, but the controversy overshadowed her resilience. As Sabalenka continues her quest for a third Madrid title, the sportsmanship debate lingers, raising questions about the fine line between competitive tactics and fair play in the high-stakes world of professional tennis.
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