Iga Swiatek silenced the critics of women’s tennis in commanding fashion following her dramatic showdown against Aryna Sabalenka in the 2024 Madrid Open.

The WTA took center stage at the Madrid Open as World No. 1 Swiatek took on defending champion Sabalenka in a rematch of last year’s final. The duo engaged in a riveting clash, with the Pole clinching the opener 7-5. However, Sabalenka bounced back strongly to take the second set 6-4, forcing a decider.

The World No. 1 then displayed her resilience, saving three championship points to claim a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) victory after a closely contested three-hour and 11-minute battle. With her win, the 22-year-old clinched her maiden title at the WTA 1000 event.

Following her triumph, Iga Swiatek shut down the detractors of women’s tennis, challenging anyone to label women’s tennis “boring” after witnessing their thrilling clash.

“Who’s gonna say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said in her on-court interview.

The Pole also described the match as the most “intense and crazy” title clash she had ever experienced.

“I think it was the most intense and crazy final I played. Out of every match [in my career], hard to say, but a final makes it even more crazy,” she said.

The four-time Grand Slam champion’s words carried significant weight, as the women’s final represented a stark contrast to the men’s side, where Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime have set up an unexpected final after the ATP draw fell apart.

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka set to headline the 2024 Italian Open next

Following their thrilling clash in the Madrid Open final, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will headline the star-studded lineup for the 2024 Italian Open, which commences on May 7.

In their last stop before the French Open, Swiatek and Sabalenka will aim to improve their results from last year’s edition of the WTA 1000 event. Although the Pole made a run to the quarterfinals in Rome last year, she was forced to retire mid-match against eventual champion Elena Rybakina due to an injury to her right thigh.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, crashed out of the tournament in the second round, suffering a shock 7-6(4), 6-2 loss to Sofia Kenin in her opening match.

After their respective campaigns in Rome, Iga Swiatek will enter the French Open as the two-time defending champion, on the hunt for her fourth title at the claycourt Major. Sabalenka, who reached the semifinals last year, will commence her quest for her maiden Roland Garros crown and second Grand Slam title of the season.