Aryna Sabalenka beat Iga Świątek 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the Madrid Open final ©Getty Images

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus beat Polish world number one Iga Świątek on clay for the first time to earn her second Madrid Open title.

Beaten two weeks ago on clay by the Pole in the Stuttgart final, Sabalenka - who won her first Grand Slam title, the Australian Open, in January - earned revenge with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory.

It will give Świątek food for thought three weeks before she defends her French Open title on the clay courts of Roland Garros.

Two years ago Sabalenka, 25, beat Ash Barty in the Madrid final after losing to the Australian in the Stuttgart final.

At the age of 21, Świątek had been looking to complete a clean sweep of clay court titles having already won the French Open in 2020 and 2022, Rome in 2021 and 2022, and Stuttgart in 2022 and 2023.

Poland's world number one Iga Świątek lost her first match on clay to world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Madrid Open ©Getty Images
Poland's world number one Iga Świątek lost her first match on clay to world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Madrid Open ©Getty Images

That ambition will have to wait.

The deciding set at La Caja Magica saw Świątek go 3-0 up before Sabalenka recovered to win the next six games, although she needed four match points to get over the line in an encounter that lasted two hours and 25 minutes.

Victory earned the Florida-based player €1,105,265 (£980,000/$124,000) and 1,000 ranking points.

More importantly, it also stoked her confidence for Roland Garros.