Mutua Madrid Open: Aryna Sabalenka is back at the Mutua Madrid Open hoping to rekindle memories of her title win from 2023, rather than her epic defeat in last year's final against Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka travels to Madrid in good form, despite a recent defeat in Stuttgart, but admitted in a press conference on Wednesday that the clay used in Madrid is not her favourite surface.
"Playing on clay gives you more time to make your shots. But in the past, this has sometimes given me some confusion as I get a lot of ideas, and that leads to mistakes," she admitted.
However, the Belarusian said the surface needed good "physical preparation" and "good tactical intelligence," and consequently, the surface is "the one that allows for improvement in all aspects of the game", reports Xinhua.
