MADRID: Marta Kostyuk defeated Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 to win the Madrid Open for the first time on Saturday.

It was world number 23 Kostyuk’s first trophy at WTA 1000 level and her second title of the season.

She became only the second player outside of the top 20 to win the Madrid Open, in her third final of an impressive 2026 thus far.

Kostyuk won when she met Andreeva in Brisbane earlier this year in their only prior meeting.

The Ukrainian secured the first break to take a 4-2 lead in the opening set, with world number eight Andreeva struggling to handle her opponent’s superior power.

The 23-year-old Rouen Open winner spurned her first set point with a double fault but captured the second when Andreeva went long.

The Russian, who became favourite to win the tournament after Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated, made too many mistakes in the first set and Kostyuk was only too happy to take advantage of them.

Playing in her first WTA 1000 final, Kostyuk broke in the first game of the second set with Andreeva volleying into the net.

However, the 19-year-old broke back with a fizzing return down-the-line to tie at 1-1.

The players exchanged breaks again in the fourth and fifth games, before Kostyuk showed great resilience to save two set points and hold for 5-5.

Andreeva double faulted to give her opponent a 6-5 lead and the chance to serve for the title.

Kostyuk opened up three championship points and spurned the first two but triumphed when Andreeva sent a backhand long, collapsing to the floor in joy.

On Friday, Alexander Zverev booked the final meeting with World number one Jannik Sinner as the German second seed dispatched promising Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5.

World number three Zverev, in strong form, broke in the first and fifth games to surge into a 5-1 lead against his unseeded opponent. Zverev sealed the set with an ace.

Blockx survived two break points in the first game of the second set and another in the third as Zverev worked him hard. The Belgian put up a brave display as he saved two more break points in each of the seventh and ninth games.

Eventually Zverev took his eighth break point of the second set to nose 6-5 ahead, with a fortuitous net cord that broke Blockx’s resistance.

The German, who has suffered a string of semi-final defeats this season, made it to his first final with a powerful overhead winner.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2026