'I hope I win them all': Aryna Sabalenka predicts 'many more finals' against Coco Gauff

Aryna Sabalenka congratulated her rival Coco Gauff after defeating her in the Madrid Open final and assured that they will face each other in 'many more finals'.

The world No. 1 secured the title in the Caja Mágica after defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6(3) to claim her third title in the Spanish capital. The Belarusian takes her 9th WTA 1000 title and continues to widen her lead at the top of the ranking.

Sabalenka once again had a remarkable performance and achieved back-to-back WTA 1000 titles, just over a month after winning the title at the Miami Open.

The three-time Grand Slam champion managed to level her head-to-head record against Gauff to 5-5 and avenged the only previous final they had played, back in the 2023 US Open, where the American won her first major title. "I want to congratulate Coco and her team on an incredible couple of weeks here," Sabalenka began.

"I'm super happy to see you back in the finals playing your best tennis. I'm pretty sure we're gonna play many more times in the finals, I mean I hope I'm gonna get all of them, but I always enjoy fighting against you, you're such a fighter, and happy to see you back honestly, thank you for this final."

The Belarusian also thanked the fans for their support during the last two weeks at the Manolo Santana Stadium. "It's so enjoyable playing in front of you, and I'm super happy I was able to win this year," added the Belarusian, who equaled Petra Kvitova as the all-time champions of the tournament, with three titles each.

Sabalenka also made sure to thank her team, with whom she has shown a close relationship beyond the strictly professional. "You know everything, we're family, we work really hard, we've been through a lot and I love you too, sometimes. Not really often, but sometimes."