Elena Rybakina Suffers Early Exit at Madrid Open, Iga Swiatek Makes Winning Start

Image source: Stats Perform

In the opening round of the 2023 Madrid Open, the No. 7 seed Elena Rybakina suffered an early exit at the hands of unseeded player Kristina Mladenovic. The match, which took place on Monday, saw Mladenovic dominate from start to finish, winning 6-2, 6-3 in just over an hour. This marks the latest setback for Rybakina, who has struggled to find her form this season.

Rybakina, who reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open in 2022, had high hopes coming into this year’s tournament. However, she struggled to find her rhythm throughout the match against Mladenovic. The Frenchwoman, who is known for her aggressive style of play, proved too much for Rybakina to handle. Mladenovic broke Rybakina’s serve twice in each set and won 77% of her first serve points, compared to just 55% for Rybakina.

In contrast, last year’s French Open champion, Iga Swiatek, made a winning start to her Madrid Open campaign, defeating unseeded player Nao Hibino 6-2, 6-4. Swiatek, who is seeded fifth in the tournament, was in control for much of the match, hitting 24 winners and winning 80% of her first serve points.

Swiatek has had a strong start to the 2023 season, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and winning the Adelaide International. The 20-year-old Polish player is widely considered one of the rising stars of women’s tennis and has shown maturity and composure beyond her years.

Despite her early exit from the Madrid Open, Rybakina will look to bounce back in the upcoming tournaments, including the French Open, where she reached the semifinals in 2021. Mladenovic, on the other hand, will take confidence from her win and look to build on it as she progresses through the tournament.

The Madrid Open, one of the most prestigious clay-court tournaments on the WTA calendar, features a star-studded field, including world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. The tournament runs from April 29 to May 7 and promises to be an exciting event for tennis fans around the world.

Re-reported from the story originally published in Stats Perform