Two of Sabalenka’s chances to win the match came as Swiatek served to force a third-set tiebreak, the first such decider in any match of their rivalry. Sabalenka, who had led 3-1 earlier in the set, missed a forehand just wide on her first opportunity, while Swiatek wiped away the second with a solid follow-up to a strong serve.
Sabalenka earned a third match point at 7-6 but this time, a backhand went long, and another error handed Swiatek her second championship point. When Sabalenka’s final backhand missed, Swiatek dropped to the ground in an exhausted celebration.
“Who’s gonna say now that women’s tennis is boring?” Swiatek asked the Spanish audience at the Caja Magica during the trophy ceremony.
Not us, that’s for sure.
Read more: Big finals don’t get much tighter, or better, than Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka’s melee in Madrid
Drumroll, please: TENNIS.com’s 2024 Match of the Year is …
1. Jasmine Paolini def. Donna Vekic, Wimbledon SF
We’ll leave it to Steve Tignor to speak on this one.
What should the criteria be for a Match of the Year? Should it be the one that made our jaws drop the farthest with the quality of its play? Or should it be the one that stirred our emotions to the highest point with its spellbinding theater?
If you favor peak quality, then Iga Swiatek’s win over Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid final would surely be your pick. For three hours and three roller-coaster sets, the WTA’s two best players traded haymakers, and the momentum, back and forth until Swiatek saved match points and survived.
Most seasons, that would be more than enough for me to make it the Match of the Year. But in 2024, there was one drama that surpassed it: Jasmine Paolini’s comeback win over Donna Vekic in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Read more on our pick for the year’s best match, and relive the longest women’s semifinal in Wimbledon history, by clicking here.
