Elina Svitolina continued her flawless clay-court run with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over Elena Rybakina in the Madrid Open third round, securing her ninth consecutive win on the surface this season. The Ukrainian, fresh off her title at Rouen last week, capitalized on Rybakina’s error-prone performance (48 unforced errors) to advance to her first Madrid fourth round.
Svitolina’s relentless baseline consistency neutralized Rybakina’s power, with the No. 17 seed converting critical breaks in both sets. Despite Rybakina firing 24 winners to Svitolina’s 10, the Kazakh’s erratic play proved decisive.
“We’re motivating each other,” Svitolina said post-match, crediting husband Gael Monfils for their mutual support after his Auckland title and her Rouen triumph. The win marks her first over Rybakina since 2021 and sets up a clash against Maria Sakkari, who dismantled Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-1 earlier Sunday.
Rybakina’s early exit compounds her ranking struggles, likely dropping her to World No. 1, while Svitolina eyes a deep Madrid run to add to her previous Rome titles.
