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WTA Backspin by Todd Spiker: Wk.17- Marta the Inevitable

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WTA Backspin by Todd Spiker: Wk.17- Marta the Inevitable

*WEEK 17 CHAMPIONS*

MADRID, SPAIN (WTA 1000; Red Clay Outdoor)

S: Marta Kostyuk/UKR def. Mirra Andreeva/RUS 6-3/7-5

WD: Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend (CZE/USA) def. Mirra Andreeva/Diana Shnaider (RUS/RUS) 7-6(2)/6-2

Saint-Malo, France (WTA 125; Red Clay Outdoor)

S: Moyuka Uchijima/JPN def. Tereza Valentova/CZE 6-7(2)/6-3/6-1

D: Isabelle Haverlag/Maia Lumsden (NED/GBR) def. Chan Hao-ching/Ivana Corley (TPE/USA) 6-4/6-0

La Bisbal d’Empordà, Spain (WTA 125; Red Clay Outdoor)

S: Dasha Kasatkina/AUS def. Tamara Korpatsch/GER 2-6/6-3/7-5

D: Elena Pridankina/Tang Qianhui (RUS/CHN) def. Tereza Mihalikova/Olivia Nicholls (SVK/GBR) 6-1/6-3

Huzhou, China (WTA 125; Red Clay Outdoor)

S: Katarzyna Kawa/POL def. Veronika Erjavec/SLO 6-0/6-4

D: Sofya Lansere/Anastasia Zolotareva (RUS/RUS) def. Hiroko Kuwata/Li Yu-yun (JPN/TPE) 6-4/6-1

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[Madrid 4th Rd.-Final]

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Marta Kostyuk/UKR

…at some point before or around the start of the 2022 season, I said is this space that “Marta Kostyuk is inevitable.” Exactly what form that notion was to take was to be determined, but the then 19-year old’s combination of talent, personality and will seemed intent on making the Ukrainian a player to contend with on the WTA tour, be it due to her persona, success or, more likely, some enticing combination of the two.

At that point, we’d already been served a small dose of Kostyuk’s particular brand of conversation-starting abilities, as she’d starred in Melbourne very early on, winning the junior title in 2017 and then returning a year later to reach the 3rd Round in her MD debut in major women’s competition. Years later, she’d reach her (so far) only slam QF at the AO (in 2024), as well as the Round of 16 at two other majors (RG ’21, U.S. ’25)

But along the way to her “inevitability,” the real world complicated matters. First, her own inconsistencies caused her to lose matches that she might/should have won, or forced her to battle to win others that *should* have come her way far easier than they did. She often thrived while doing things “the hard way,” but it all prevented her from reaching her clearly great potential between the lines.

Meanwhile, outside them, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 caused Kostyuk to often take on the role as the most outspoken player in tennis (notably, while top-ranked Ukrainian Elina Svitolina was on maternity leave) on the subject of Russia, Russian (and Belarusian) tennis players, the WTA tour and whether the various groups could (or should) coexist on the court while the war was taking place away from it. Kostyuk often seemed to push (or go over) some unspoken lines, at first wishing to ban her potential opponents from the tour, not wishing to play against them and, ultimately, (mostly) settling, along with most of her countrywomen, on taking no photos with, acknowledging, nor shaking the hands of players representing the nations. When it’s come to how reasonable some of her assertions were concerning how athletes should act and what they should say when their government/military runs afoul of international notions of peace and understanding, the proverbial jury of international opinion in sports and tennis will always be out. But, for her part, Kostyuk has stood her ground (in most instances, while legitimately “bending” concerning others… see Dasha Kasatkina) and, no matter one’s opinion on respectful conduct toward opponents on the field of play, there’s a certain amount of respect that has to paid to her for that, at least.

But, aside from all that, Kostyuk never stopped playing, and through it all continued to only scratch the surface of what was possible in her career.

That began to change when she brought aboard Sandra Zaniewska as coach in the middle of the ’23 season, as Kostyuk gradually started to put down a series of milestone results, even while leaving much room for still more. She reached the Indian Wells SF, a pair of 500 finals and the Olympic QF in ’24, cracking the Top 20. Last year, she posted three QF results in 1000 events while also starring in some of the most competitve matches of the entire season, including a brilliant two-TB loss to Aryna Sabalenka (a Match of the Year nominee even while not going three sets), yet failed to reach a tour final for the first time since 2022 and recorded just one Top 10 win after notching eight combined in 2023-24.

All Kostyuk’s work to better her game and mindset has started to (perhaps exponentially) produce dividends in 2026. The 23-year old opened the year in Brisbane with a three-Top 10 win run (def. Anisimova, Andreeva and Pegula) to the final, where she again fell to Sabalenka. But she didn’t get the expected bounce from the result, falling in the 1st Round of the AO in a three-TB affair (vs. Jacquemot) and going just 2-2 on the Sunshine Swing.

Finally, though, the clay season has provided Kostyuk the platform on which to rise. Two weeks ago, she won the title in Rouen, her first WTA crown since 2023. She arrived in Madrid ranked outside the Top 20, but with her confidence brimming. Two weeks later, it all — inevitably? — came together.

Kostyuk would lose just one set in Madrid en route to her biggest career title, reaching and winning her maiden 1000 crown.

After an opening win over Yulia Putintseva, the Ukrainian dusted off her fourth Top 10 victim of the year in Jessie Pegula (who also lost to her in Brisbane, and is now a combined 0-5 vs. Kostyuk and Rybakina, but 25-0 in ’26 against everyone else). It was her first Top 10 victory on clay since the Paris Olympics. She followed up by taking out Caty McNally to reach her second straight Madrid QF, then handled Linda Noskova to match her best career 1000 result. Though Anastasia Potapova managed to catch Kostyuk “napping” in the 2nd set of their semifinal, as she perhaps could see the final within her reach, the Ukrainian came back strong to win in three to reach her biggest career final (and her third tour final this season alone, doubling her career total).

Against Mirra Andreeva in the title match, Kostyuk met and raised her game against all challenges that the teenager presented, starting in top form and then rallying from 5-4 down and saving two SP in the 2nd, winning in straight sets. She’s now 12-0 on clay this season. It’s the longest winning streak on tour in ’26 other than Sabalenka’s just ended 15-match run.

Afterward, she etched the moment into the collective mind of the entire tennis world with a unique post-match celebration, as Kostyuk’s talent and persona found its “sweet spot” while everyone was looking — for all the right reasons — in her direction.

Already with more tour-level wins on clay in a single season than she’s ever had in her career, the question of what Kostyuk’s “inevitability” might mean will come next once again bubbles to the surface.

Thus far, aside from a Round of 16 run in Paris five years ago (and that Olympic QF on the terre battue), Kostyuk’s abilities have yet to make their mark at Roland Garros. Her 4-6 record in the event makes it her least productive of the four majors. With three of her four wins coming in a single year there, Kostyuk has had four 1st Round exits in her other five MD appearances.

But, set to crack the Top 15 for the first time on Monday, and with her confidence level as high as its ever been, mabye that’ll all change starting later this month.

Is is inevitable that the time is *now*? No. But, however deep Kostyuk might play there, it wouldn’t come as a surprise.

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RISERS: Mirra Andreeva/RUS and Linda Noskova/CZE

…having already won her biggest clay title yet in Linz earlier in April, Andreeva’s time in Spain saw her celebrate both her 19th birthday and an extension of her nice, (mostly) emotionally stable form on the dirt by reaching her biggest career final on the surface, though the title remained just out of reach.

Andreeva ran off a trio of opening wins over Hungarian opponents in Madrid, knocking off Panna Udvardy, Dalma Galfi and Anna Bondar, being forced to three sets by Bondar after failing to serve out the match in the 2nd and losing a TB (then being forced to another TB in the 3rd despite having led the set 5-1).

Against Leylah Fernandez in the QF, on Andreeva’s last day as an 18-year old, the Hordette rallied from 4-2 down in the 1st, saving three SP and dominating an opening TB, then twice immediately broke back after dropping her first two service games in the 2nd en route to a straight sets win. With the win, Andreeva became the youngest Madrid semifinalist since 2009 (Wozniacki). Against Hailey Baptiste, the teenager staved off a late comeback attempt in the 2nd after Andreeva hadn’t been able to convert a MP and then had to turn back three Baptiste SP in a tie-break. She won in two.

In her seventh career WTA singles final, Andreeva raised her game after dropping the 1st vs. Marta Kostyuk, and led 5-4 in the 2nd, holding two SP. But her Ukrainian opponent continually pushed back with aggressive play, catching and passing Andreeva to win 6-3/7-5.

While Andreeva was emotional in the aftermath of her defeat, as well as in the post-match ceremony (where she *did* acknowledge her opponent by name, though she didn’t get the reciprocal competitive respect from Kostyuk), she leaves Madrid having been able to avoid the sort of embarrassing outburst as she exited the stage that has often accompanied some of her other tough losses over the last two seasons.

So, at least on this occasion, her step forward didn’t also include a moment of reflective (pessimistic) pause and a question about how her loss might negatively impact her chances in the next major on the schedule.

Andreeva also reached the doubles final alongside Diana Shnaider, the fourth career tour final for the pair, but fell to Katerina Siniakova & Taylor Townsend.

Noskova, despite a far-from-eye-popping 13-7 mark (w/ her 2-0 BJK record factored in from CZE’s big Qualifiers victory) on the year, had made some significant moves in 2026 before Madrid, including posting her third straight multi-win major (AO 3r) and a SF run in Indian Wells (after reaching her first 1000 final in Beijing late last season). She climbed to a career high of #12 in the opening weeks of the year.

In her third trip to Madrid, Noskova got wins over Emiliana Arango (followed by a walkover from Liudmila Samsonova) and her maiden Top 10 win of ’26 against Coco Gauff, rallying from 4-1 down in the 3rd (and 3-0 in the deciding TB) to get her first win over Gauff in three tries. It’s just her second career Top 10 win on clay, her first on the dirt in two years, and also gave her a first career 1000 QF on the surface (she has just two MD wins at RG in four appearances).

Noskova’s QF vs. Marta Kostyuk was hardly a work of art, at least as far as serving goes. The 1st set included eight breaks and saw Kostyuk twice fail to serve out the set before finally winning a 7-1 TB. Noskova alone faced 19 BP in the set.

In the 2nd, Noskova won just one point off Kostyuk’s serve, and never held her own, in a love set exit.

Still, she’ll edge closer to reclaiming the #12 ranking, moving to within just 91 points of Belinda Bencic, and will remain at #13 to stay just two spots behind CZE #1 Karolina Muchova.

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SURPRISE: Anastasia Potapova/AUT

…Potapova had a circuitous route into the Madrid MD — a loss in qualifying, a delayed addition to the available LL list which led to her being a late(r) replacement and, thus, receiving a 1st Round bye due to #16-seed Madison Keys’ late withdrawal — but once she found her spot she went on to have an historic run to the semifinals.

After her Q-round loss to Sinja Kraus, recent Linz finalist Potapova reached the 3rd Round with a win over Zhang Shuai. If things had ended there, she’d have made a successful event out of what had initially been a disappointing one. But the (new) Austrian was just getting started.

She proceeded to take out Alona Ostapenko from a set down, then picked up her eighth career Top 10 win (matching her biggest-ever win, over then-#2 Anett Kontaveit in ’22) with a straight sets upset of Elena Rybakina. After being unable to finish off Karolina Pliskova in two despite leading 6-1/5-4 and having two MP, Potapova then rallied from double-break down in the 3rd to get the win to reach her first 1000 SF (after three QF from 2021-24, none on clay… though her best 1000 result on the surface was her Round of 16 in Madrid last year).

Potapova is the first lucky loser to reach a 1000/Tier I semifinal, and the first Austrian to do so in a 1000 since 2007 (Sybille Bammer at Indian Wells).

Potapova came back strong after dropping the 1st set vs. Marta Kostyuk in the semis, forcing a 3rd, but couldn’t dig out of a second straight double-break hole in a deciding set to reach her second final this clay season. She lost 6-2/1-6/6-1.

Still, after a lackluster 7-8 start to the year on hard courts, Potapova’s Madrid run gives her a 9-3 mark on the dirt as she jumps 18 spots and back into the Top 40 (at #37) on Monday.

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VETERAN: Katarzyna Kawa/POL

…at 33, Kawa hasn’t given up the singles fight and settled into what would likely be a successful career as a doubles specialist. She’s had a hand in Poland’s success in the United Cup (’26 champs) and BJK Cup SF (’24 SF) while doubling up (in MX and WD), but has continued to pursue the goal of cracking the Top 100 as a solo artist.

Last year, she reached s tour-level singles final in Bogota that came six years after her only previous WTA title match in 2019 (at Jurmala, LAT). It was a result that also represented her first *QF* result in singles in a tour event since 2021. She finished ’25 at #124, her best year-ending ranking since 2020, but Kawa started this season at 0-5 before finding her footing in back-to-back semifinals in 125 events in Antalya in March.

This week in the 125 event in Huzhou (CHN), #3-seeded Kawa played her way into the singles final with a SF win over #5-seed Guo Hanyu, giving herself the chance to put an end to what had become a seven-match losing streak in singles finals at all levels. Rising to the occasion, Kawa defeated top seeded Veronika Erjavec 6-0/6-4 to claim her first title since she won a $25K crown in 2019. Until this weekend that win had been tied with three other efforts as the biggest singles title in Kawa’s career.

With a career high of #112 having come six years ago, Kawa’s quest for a Top 100 ranking is on, as she’ll rise from #163 to #137 on Monday.

A list of Kawa’s seven straight losses in finals…

If you can see the translated version of this post, it’s worth the read…

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COMEBACK: Dasha Kasatkina/AUS

…finally, La Bisbal d’Empordà proved to be the soft landing that Kasatakina has been looking for in 2026.

After what was a poor ’25 campaign that was propped up (i.e. salvaged) by a series of important, good runs in majors (she was 10-4 in slam play, and 9-18 everywhere else), the new Aussie got off to a slow start in ’26 (and went out in the AO in the 1st Rd.) before missing two months with a hip injury.

With her ranking down to #75, and being winless (0-2, w/ three-set losses to Ann Li and Daria Snigur, the latter via a 28-point TB) since her recent return to action, Kasatkina arrived in Spain looking for something, anything, to build on. It turned out to be a crazy journey in which Kasatkina danced along the edge of a place that resembled what we used to call “The Cliffs of Simona” in these parts, but in the end she was the last woman left standing (and lifting the 125 event’s trophy).

At times, Kasatkina surged far ahead of multiple opponents, only to see her lead diminish if not disappear entirely, then put on a final rush that got her over the finish line. In the 1st Round vs. Emiliana Arango, Kasatkina lost a 4-0 3rd set lead and had to save a MP (at 6-5) before finally winning a deciding TB.

After a 6-2/6-2 win over Laura Pigossi, she was at it again, nearly squandering a 5-0 3rd set edge (she’d won eleven straight games after dropping the 1st, leading 4-6/6-0/5-0) in the QF as Alina Charaeva got back on serve at 5-4. But Kasatkina broke her former fellow Hordette to take the “W” and move on to the semis, where she allowed just two games to Sara Sorribes Tormo.

In her first singles final since October 2024 (Ningbo title), Kasatkina lost the opening set to Tamara Korpatsch, but again pulled the match back and led 5-1 in the 3rd. Korpatch would soon knot the score at 5-5 before Kasatkina held serve and broke the German to take the set 7-5, winning her first singles career 125 title (she’s got eight at tour level, along with seven early-career wins on the ITF circuit) and finally come to the surface for a refreshing (and hopefully refurbishing) breath of air after what has been a hectic few seasons both on and off court.

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FRESH FACES: Hailey Baptiste/USA and Moyuka Uchijima/JPN

…Baptiste’s rise continued in Madrid as she posted a pair of Top 10 wins, including her first over a world #1, to reach her maiden 1000 SF and secure a new career-high ranking on Monday.

Maybe just as impressive as her results, and the sometimes-brilliant nature of many of the groundstrokes that got her there, was the way she traversed what was her far-from-smooth path through the draw in Madrid.

After an opening win over Kaitlin Quevedo, Baptiste notched her first career Top 10 win on clay (third overall, and second this season after Svitolina in Miami) with a win over Jasmine Paolini. A round later, after being unable to put away one of six MP vs. Belinda Bencic in a 2nd set that ending with her dropping a 30-point TB (as well as destroying a racket in a moment that will live in artful exquisiteness), she rebounded to take the third to reach her first career clay court QF. Baptiste then followed up with something even greater, saving six MP (two w/ serve-and-volley rushes on second serves) and defeating #1 Aryna Sabalenka in a deciding 3rd set tie-break.

Baptiste fell to Mirra Andreeva in straight sets in the SF, but only after saving a MP and forcing a TB duel in which she held three SP, and denied a second MP with an ace, before the teenager finally converted on her third MP chance.

Baptiste will climb into the Top 30 to a new career high of #26, and will make her slam seed debut at Roland Garros. She reached the Round of 16 on the terre battue last year.

Meanwhile, Uchijima, still only 24 herself and battling to reclaim her former Top 50 position, outlasted a crew of rising youngsters in Saint-Malo (FRA) to win her second 125 title this season (w/ a March win in Antalya, which was followed by another 125 SF in the city), matching her biggest career triumph.

Coming into the week, Uchijima was on a four-match losing streak, but over the course of the event she posted wins over young(er)sters Ksenia Efremova, Sofia Costoulas and (in the final) top seeded Tereza Valentova, rallying from a set down to defeat the Czech 6-7(2)/6-3/6-1.

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ITF PLAYER: Noma Noha Akugue/GER

…a first-time tour finalist in her WTA MD debut in Hamburg in 2023, Noha Akugue has been chasing the success of her high-flying introduction ever since. Finally, this season, she’s starting to find traction once more.

This week the, the 22-year old German took the title at the $100K challenger in Wiesbaden, claiming her circuit lead-tying third ITF title (in four finals) this season with a 6-2/7-6(3) win in the final over ’25 Wimbledon junior champ Mia Pohankova (who was playing in her biggest career final).

With a 27-9 mark on the season, NNA will rise to #166 on Monday, her best ranking since October ’23. She reached a career high of #142 in July of that year after her runner-up performance in Hamburg.

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JUNIOR STAR: Sun Xinran/CHN

…Sun already has a pair of J300 titles (including Traralgon in January, where she defeated soon-to-be AO girls’ champ Ksenia Efremova, as well as Alena Kovackova, who’d go on to win the junior doubles in Melbourne) and last year’s J500 Orange Bowl crown under her belt in her young career.

This past week, the 15-year old girls’ #8 added another big win with a title at J300 Plovdiv (BUL). As the #1 seed, she defeated Serbia’s Anastasija Cvetkovic in a 6-4/6-1 final to close out her latest championship run.

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DOUBLES: Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend, CZE/USA

…playing doubles with Siniakova is good for the soul, the bank account and the trophy case. Townsend is quickly learning that particular tennis commandment, as the best positioning on the doubles court continues to be within hand-slapping distance of the Czech.

In Madrid, the duo claimed their third straight 1000 title, adding a clay court triumph to their Sunshine Double win on hard court earlier this spring. They’re 17-1 together in 2026, with fifteen straight wins.

After taking a MTB win over L.Kichenok/Krawczyk in their opening match in Spain, Siniakova/Townsend didn’t lose another set all week, defeating Krunic/Mladenovic in the SF (the Bracelet wasn’t playing with Doubles Race-leading partner Anna Danilina, who teamed up in Madrid w/ Asia Muhammad for a 1st Round loss), then Mirra Andreeva/Diana Shnaider in a 7-6(2)/6-2 final.

Not only does the duo’s win give them a tour-best three titles in ’26, but Siniakova picks up career title #36 to tie her for the lead amongst active players on tour (w/ Errani and Hsieh) while Townsend gets #15. Having both won an additional title this season with another partner, they’re tied for the individual season lead with four crowns, while Siniakova has won *four* straight 1000 titles (along w/ a run in Beijing last fall w/ Storm Hunter).

Oh, yeah… and the pair will once again top the WTA doubles rankings on Monday, with Siniakova back at #1 (for a 181st week in her career, as she once again picks up her hunt for Martina Navratilova’s career mark) and Townsend at #2.

Danilina/Krunic still lead the season Points Race, though, with Siniakova/Townsend moving up to #2.

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[Madrid 4th Rd.-Final]

1. Madrid QF – Hailey Baptiste def. Aryna Sabalenka

…2-6/6-2/7-6(6). After having failed to convert on six MP vs. Bencic a round earlier (but getting the win on #7), Baptiste *saved* six MP vs. Sabalenka to notch her first career #1 win and end Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak and run of appearances in consecutive event finals at five (dating back to the WTAF).

The 3rd set evolved into a mini-masterpiece in its own right, as Sabalenka seemed to have escaped Baptiste’s trap more than once to emerge unscathed. She’d recovered from going down love/40 at 2-2, only to see Baptiste again take a love/40 lead two games later and get the break. But Sabalenka immediately broke back to stay ahead.

Up 5-4 on Baptiste’s serve, Sabalenka had her first two MP at 15/40, but Baptiste went on to save a total of *five* MP in the game (two w/ serve-and-volley moves on second serves, and another with a drop/lob combo) as the Bannerette began a run of sometimes-brilliant shotmaking under pressure.

Baptiste held for 5-5, then a game later set up a BP opportunity with a shocking running forehand winner down the line from well off the court.

Cued up to that specific point…

A Sabalenka error gave Baptiste the chance to serve out the win, but with the score knotted a 30/30 a DF and Sabalenka second serve return winner down the line forced a deciding TB.

Up 4-1, Sabalenka again seemed on her way to closing out the win, but Baptiste had another surge left in her. She erased the mini-break lead, getting the breaker back on serve at 5-4. But a slightly long forehand shot handed Sabalenka a sixth MP, this time on her own serve. With a backhand winner up the line perfectly set up, well ahead of Baptiste as she tried to get back into the rally from the other side of the court, Sabalenka’s attempt to end the match slid *just* wide.

Sabalenka wouldn’t win another point. A forehand error gave Baptiste her first MP at 7-6, then Baptiste’s big swinging forehand seemed to be heading long before it suddenly dropped out of the air and landed in the corner. Everyone waited for a possible out call, but it never came, as the ball had found its way inside the court to close out Sabalenka’s reign in Spain and lift Baptiste to another level in her quickly-rising career.

With her only other defeat in ’26 coming at the hands of Elena Rybakina in the AO final, Sabalenka now stands at 26-2 on the season. After having won the title a year ago, Sabalenka drops 785 ranking points while Rybakina picks up 55. So the gap between #1 and #2 is now 840 points smaller, with Sabalenka holding onto a 10110-8555 lead.

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2. Madrid 4th Rd. – Linda Noskova def. Coco Gauff

…6-4/1-6/7-6(5). Noskova recovers from losing ten of twelve games after taking the 1st set, dropping the 2nd and falling behind 4-1 in the 3rd.

After taking the match to a deciding tie-break, the Czech had to erase a 3-0 deficit before winning 7-5 to record her first win over Gauff in three tries (though they hadn’t played since 2023, before the Czech’s recent rise up the rankings) and get just her second career Top 10 win on clay (first since def. Ostapenko in Stuttgart two years ago).

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3. Madrid 4th Rd. – Hailey Baptiste def. Belinda Bencic

…6-1/6-7(14)/6-3. Baptiste *had* this match in her back pocket in the 2nd, and she knew it. After quickly taking the 1st, she held her first MP at 6-5 in the 2nd set. And then the journey began.

Bencic broke to force a TB by converting on her fourth BP of game 12, then took a 4-1 lead in the breaker. But Baptiste rallied to reach double MP at 6-4. She got neither, and went on to have three *more* MP in the TB (giving her six in all in the set) before Bencic knotted the match on her own sixth SP to win a 30-point breaker at 16-14.

Baptiste didn’t handle the whole situation very well in the moment, and proceeded to treat everyone to some *top-notch* racket destruction (Mr.Medvedev would like a word…).

But she left the frustration behind in the 2nd set and its immediate aftermath, and rebounded to put away her third Top 12 win (w/ Svitolina and Paolini) in a matter of weeks, albeit a little later in the day than it needed to be.

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4. Saint-Malo 125 QF – Tereza Valentova def. Lilli Tagger

…7-5/7-5. A first meeting between two of the hottest commodities amongst the NextGen set, and it lived up to the billing when it came to competitiveness.

In the 1st, 19-year old Valentova’s 3-1 lead was turned into a 3-4 deficit by 18-year old Tagger. Serving in game 8, the Czech saved five BP to get the hold, then broke the Austrian to re-take the lead at 5-4. But she couldn’t put away a SP a game later, as the set was tied again at 5-5. Valentova closed strongly, immediately breaking back and holding to take the set at 7-5.

Continuing what would be a theme throughout the day, Valentova saved a handful of BP in the second game of the 2nd, denying Tagger on five occasions to get the hold. But the two then proceeded to exchange breaks over the following two games. After leading 5-3, Valentova again couldn’t put away a big point on serve — a MP at 5-4 — and was broken, but quickly got her break edge back a game later and served for the win at 6-5.

Valentova saved three more BP in game 12 — making Tagger just 4-of-21 on BP chances for the day — and secured the win on her fourth MP (third in the game).

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5. La Bisbal d’Empordà 125 1st Rd. – Dasha Kasatkina def. Emiliana Arango

…6-2/3-6/7-6(5). Kasatkina ends her three-match losing streak, posting her first victory since since mid-February and a two-month layoff with a hip injury.

It wasn’t easy, as the Aussie nearly blew a 4-0 3rd set advantage, as Arango took control and had a pair of MP on Kasatkina’s serve at 6-5. Kasatkina held, and took a 7-5 TB in which the servers won just three of twelve points.

La Bisbal d’Empordà 125 QF – Dasha Kasatkina def. Alina Charaeva

…4-6/6-0/6-4. After flirting with oblivion after a big lead vs. Arango, Kasatkina was at it again two rounds later vs. Charaeva.

After rallying from a set down, the Aussie won eleven straight games, leading 4-6/6-0/5-0 before seeing her former countrywoman erase a two-break advantage and get things back on serve at 5-4. But, having walked up to the edge of the cliff, Kasatkina stepped back to safety, breaking Charaeva to end the match and tempt fate no longer.

La Bisbal d’Empordà 125 Final – Dasha Kasatkina def. Tamara Korpatsch

…2-6/6-3/7-5. After seeing a 4-0 3rd set lead vs. Arango evaporate, then a 5-0 edge do the same against Charaeva, Kasatkina made it three-for-three in pulling off eleventh hour saves.

Kasatkina led Korpatch 5-1 in the 3rd, only to see the German pull even at 5-5. But, have no fear (unless it’s of The Kasatkina), as the Aussie completed the hold-and-break combo to close out the match and her title-winning comeback week.

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6. Saint-Malo 125 1st Rd. – Leolia Jeanjean def. Talia Gibson

…6-7(5)/2-6/7-5. Gibson still maintains a relatively gaudy 22-10 record for the year, but with this loss the Sunshine Swing star is now on a four-match skid.

She led 4-2 in the 3rd here, but saw Jeanjean reach MP first at 5-4. Gibson denied it, but ultimately was broken to end the match.

Clay wouldn’t seem to be the best surface for the Aussie to right the suddenly-listing ship, either, considering she’s won exactly *one* match on the dirt over the last four seasons combined.

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7. Huzhou 125 SF – Veronika Erjavec def. Wang Xiyu

…6-4/7-6(3). Wang’s first appearance above the ITF challenger level this season falls shorts of continuing her remarkable start to ’26.

A Top 50 player and tour-level title winner three seasons ago, Wang has slipped in and out of the Top 150 the last few seasons. But she started this year on an 21-1 rush, with three straight ITF titles (and a $100K SF) before falling in the Huzhou semis to Erjavec.

============================================

8. Saint-Malo 125 SF – Tereza Valentova def. Anna Blinkova

…6-3/6-2. Blinkova’s run ended in the semis, but it was a huge turnaround in what has been a disastrous start for the Hordette.

After ending 2025 with a tour-level title run in Jiujiang in November, Blinkova began ’25 at 0-5 and came into Saint-Malo at just 4-12. She posted three wins, including a pair over Celine Naef and Yuan Yue, before top-seeded Valentova proved too big an obstacle.

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9. $15K Madrid ESP Final – Nadia Podoroska def. Maria Garcia Cid

…4-1 ret. Once upon a time, Podoroska was a surprise Roland Garros semifinalist as a qualifier in Paris in 2020. She’d ultimately reach the Top 40, and notch three Top 10 wins (def. Svitolina, Kvitova and S.Williams) in 2020-21 before pulling herself off tour to treat her ailing body in late 2021.

She’d miss ten months before her return, which would eventually include three 125 victories in 2023-24.

After playing just three matches in 2025, the Argentine had another long absence from the sport due to hip and shoulder injuries, disappearing after the Australian Open and not playing again until this spring. This $15K challenger was just her second event back, but she still managed to win *eight* matches en route to the title, (again) finding her way through qualifying and (this time) carrying her run all the way through the final and into the winner’s circle.

The 29-year old is now 15-3 in ITF finals in her career.

During the first week of the WTA event in Madrid, Solana Sierra had become the first woman from Argentina to reach the Round of 16 at a 1000 event since Podoroska had done it in Rome in 2021.

============================================

10. $100K Gifu JPN Final – Mananchaya Sawangkaew def. Emerson Jones

…7-6(3)/6-3. Having already made her slam MD debut at the AO, won a 125 crown in Mumbai (def. Lilli Tagger in the final) and $75K back home in Thailand, Sawangkaew (ex-Oklahoma State) has another productive stop on the Asian circuit with a $100K victory over the young Aussie in the Kangaroo Cup.

============================================

HM- $15K Oegstgeest NED Final – Denisa Zoldakova def. Tilwith Di Girolami

…6-1/6-2. Another week, another Crusher champ.

Valentova didn’t pick up a title this week, but her 18-year old fellow Czech Zoldakova did. It’s the maiden win in the career of the world #1123.

Zoldakova reached the AO girls’ doubles final back in January (as well as the 3rd Round in junior singles).

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[Madrid 4th Rd.-Final]

1. Madrid 4th Rd. – Mirra Andreeva def. Anna Bondar

…6-7(5)/6-3/7-6(5). The one that *didn’t* slip away. Perhaps Andreeva is starting to get her teenage emotions more under control, as she avoided giving away a locked-in victory over a third straight Hungarian opponent in Madrid. Of course, that only came after dancing along the edge of oblivion once more…

After not serving out the 1st set at 6-5, then dropping a tie-break, Andreeva nearly squandered a 5-1 edge in the 3rd. After being unable to convert a MP at 5-3 she was taken by Bondar to another TB. *This* one didn’t get away, as Andreeva won it 7-5 to reach the Madrid QF for a third straight year.

============================================

2. Madrid QF – Mirra Andreeva def. Leylah Fernandez

…7-6(1)/6-3. In her first clay 1000 QF (and first in any 1000 since Cincinnati ’24), Fernandez had opportunities to put Andreeva’s emotional stability to a real test, but the teenager fought off the Canadian in the 1st set (and the opening games of the 2nd) to win in straights.

Fernandez led 4-2 in the 1st, and after saving four BP at 5-5 had three SP on Andreeva’s serve a game later. But Andreeva overcame her own errors to push things to a TB, where she dominated in a 7-1 win.

The 2nd set saw Andreeva broken in her first two service games, but immediately get the break back a game later on both occasions. Ultimately, it was Fernandez who held just once in the set as Andreeva became the tournament’s second-youngest semifinalist (behind only Wozniacki in 2009).

Meanwhile, Conchita Martinez continues to pull double-duty, as she often has to coach two different players — the one who can beat *anybody* as well as the one who sometimes just wants to “Thelma & Louise” it and drive the whole thing off a cliff — over the course of one match.

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3. Madrid QF – Anastasia Potapova def. Karolina Pliskova

…6-1/6-7(4)/6-3. Potapova was cruising along at 6-1/5-4, holding two MP on serve. But then Pliskova lifted her game on the biggest points, while Potapova’s confidence ebbed just enough to make a match of things.

While serving for the match, Potapova faced her first BP of the day, ultimately ending the game by breaking herself with back-to-back DF. She got the break back a game later, but then couldn’t convert on her third MP and was broken yet again. Pliskova’s 3-0 TB lead was erased at 3-3, but the Czech’s big forehand gave her her first SP at 6-4. Another Potapova DF ended it.

After falling down double-break at 3-1 in the 3rd, Potapova finally righted the ship (after the match, she credited the boost she got from the late arrival of her boyfriend in the stands) and swept the final five games to become the first lucky loser to reach a 1000 semifinal.

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4. Madrid SF – Mirra Andreeva def. Hailey Baptiste

…6-4/7-6(8). Andreeva was well on her way to another ’26 clay final, holding a MP on Baptiste’s serve at 5-3. But Baptiste denied it, getting the hold to set up a great finish. In the following game, with Andreeva serving for the match, Baptiste saw her first BP of the day, getting the break to tie things up at 5-5.

In the 2nd set TB, Baptiste had a 4-1 edge, a lead which Andreeva soon erased at 4-4. A sprayed forehand from the teenager handed Baptiste a pair of SP at 6-4, but Andreeva saved the first with a lob winner and Baptiste netted a shot on the second, previewing a final duel over the last few points as every point was either a SP/MP, or would set up a SP/MP opportunity.

On Baptiste’s third SP at 7-6, Andreeva fired off an ace; then Baptiste aced her right back at 8-7 on Andreeva’s second MP. Finally, on MP #3, Baptiste’s backhand landed just beyond the baseline to end the 10-8 match-closer breaker.

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5. Madrid Final – Marta Kostyuk def. Mirra Andreeva

…6-3/7-5. As she’d done all week, Andreeva met with adversity by lifting her game. Unlike in her previous outings in Madrid, it didn’t lead to a victory vs. Kostyuk.

That said, the teenager quickly recovered from an in-form Kostyuk taking the 1st by buidling a 5-4 lead in the 2nd, holding a pair of SP on the Ukrainian’s serve. Kostyuk saved both (the second w/ an ace), then carried over her surge to break Andreeva in the next game. Serving for the title, Kostyuk put her head down and got the job done, winning on her third MP of game 12, picking up her maiden 1000 title and “officially” making herself a dark horse contender (perhaps getting lighter by the minute) at Roland Garros.

Once her feat was accomplished, Kostyuk’s backflip celebration simultaneously contrasted with a dejected Andreeva’s tears a few feet away to produce about as stark of a “thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat” moment as is possible on a tennis court.

Thrilling. Difficult. And, of course, simply irresistible.

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This is nice, but feels a bit late on the trigger. Should’ve happened when Sakkari was a Top 10 player.


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#NationalPoetryMonth is almost over, but if you’re still in the mood to observe it, I invite you to buy one of my chapbooks. If you’ve already bought one or more–thank you!–and an Amazon review would be much appreciated.
www.amazon.com/stores/Diane…

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— Diane Elayne Dees (@womenwhoserve.bsky.social) April 27, 2026 at 4:02 PM


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That is a very menacing new librarian. I’m not sure she understands that there’s no penalty for not returning a book. A little “Conan the Librarian” over here!

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— Stabatha (@stabatha.com) April 28, 2026 at 5:50 PM

WTA Backspin by Todd Spiker: Wk.17- Marta the Inevitable


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Venus Williams–wild card or fold?
womenwhoserve.blogspot.com/2026/04/venu… #WTA #VenusWilliams

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— Diane Elayne Dees (@womenwhoserve.bsky.social) April 28, 2026 at 3:20 PM

No player does action shots like Coco…


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*2026 MAJOR/1000 WINNERS*
[WS]
Australian Open – Elena Rybakina, KAZ
Doha – Karolina Muchova, CZE
Dubai – Jessie Pegula, USA
Indian Wells – Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Miami – Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Madrid – Marta Kostyuk, UKR
[WD]
Australian Open – Mertens/Zhang, BEL/CHN
Doha – Danilina/Krunic, KAZ/SRB
Dubai – Dabrowski/Stefani, CAN/BRA
Indian Wells – Siniakova/Townsend, CZE/USA
Miami – Siniakova/Townsend, CZE/USA
Madrid – Siniakova/Townsend, CZE/USA

*2026 MAJOR/1000 FINALS*
AO (HC) – #5 Rybakina/KAZ d. #1 Sabalenka/BLR
Doha (HC) – #19 Muchova/CZE d. #13 Mboko/CAN
Dubai (HC)- #3 Pegula/USA d. #9 Svitolina/UKR
Indian Wells (HC) – #1 Sabalenka/BLR d. #3 Rybakina/KAZ
Miami (HC) – #1 Sabalenka/BLR d. #4 Gauff/USA
Madrid (RC) – #23 Kostyuk/UKR d. #8 M.Andreeva/RUS

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2026*
4 – Aryna Sabalenka (3-1)
3 – MIRRA ANDEREVA (2-1)
3 – MARTA KOSTYUK (2-1)
3 – Elena Rybakina (2-1)
2 – Jessie Pegula (2-0)
2 – Karolina Muchova (1-1)
2 – Elina Svitolina (1-1)
2 – Victoria Mboko (0-2)

*2026 MOST CONSECUTIVE WTA FINALS*
4 – Aryna Sabalenka (Bris-W,AO-L,IW-W,Mia-W)
2 – Marta Kostyuk (Rouen-W,Madrid-W)*

*MOST WTA SF in 2026*
5 – Elina Svitolina (2-3)
4 – Aryna Sabalenka (4-0)
4 – MIRRA ANDREEVA (3-1)
4 – Elena Rybakina (3-1)
4 – Karolina Muchova (2-2)
4 – Jessie Pegula (2-2)
3 – MARTA KOSTYUK (3-0)
3 – Iva Jovic (1-2)
2 – Victoria Mboko (2-0)
2 – Sorana Cirstea (1-0+L)
2 – Coco Gauff (1-1)
2 – ANASTASIA POTAPOVA (1-1)
2 – HAILEY BAPTISTE (0-2)
2 – Kimberly Birrell (0-2)

*MADRID/ROME “DIRTY DOUBLE” FINALS IN SEASON*
[w/ RG result]
2009 Dinara Safina (W-W-RU)
2013 Serena Williams ( W- W-W)
2017 Simona Halep (W-RU-RU)
2022 Ons Jabeur (W-RU-1r)
2024 Iga Swiatek (W-W-W)
2024 Aryna Sabalenka (L-L-QF)
2025 Coco Gauff (RU-RU-W)
[MADRID/ROME FINAL MATCH-UP COMBO]
2024 Aryna Sabalenka vs. Iga Swiatek (Swiatek 2-0)

*LOW-RANKED PLAYER TO DEFEAT SABALENKA AS #1*
#164 – 2025 Berlin SF – Marketa Vondrousova (W)
#38 – 2025 Dubai 3rd Rd. – Clara Tauson
#32 – 2026 Madrid QF – HAILEY BAPTISTE
#26 – 2025 Doha 2nd Rd. – Ekaterina Alexandrova
#24 – 2025 Stuttgart F – Alona Ostapenko (W)

*LAST FIVE #1 WINS*
2025 CIN QF – #10 Elena Rybakina/KAZ d. Sabalenka
2025 WUH QF – #6 Jessie Pegula/USA d. Sabalenka
2025 WTAF F – #6 Elena Rybakina/KAZ d. Sabalenka
2026 AO F – #5 Elena Rybakina/KAZ d. Sabalenka
2026 MAD QF – #32 Hailey Baptiste/USA d. Sabalenka

*#1 WINS BY U.S. WOMEN – since 2020*
2020 #53 Jennifer Brady d. Barty (Brisbane 2nd)
2020 #15 Sofia Kenin d. Barty (AO SF)
2021 #37 Danielle Collins d. Barty (Adelaide 2nd)
2021 #35 Coco Gauff d. Barty (Rome QF)
2021 #43 Shelby Rogers d. Barty (US Open 3r)
2022 #24 Madison Keys d. Swiatek (Cincinnati 3r)
2023 #3 Jessie Pegula d. Swiatek (United Cup SF)
2023 #3 Jessie Pegula d. Swiatek (Montreal SF)
2023 #7 Coco Gauff d. Swiatek (Cincinnati SF)
2023 #5 Jessie Pegula d. Sabalenka (WTA Finals rr)
2024 #6 Jessie Pegula d. Swiatek (U.S. Open QF)
2024 #3 Coco Gauff d. Sabalenka (WTA Finals SF)
2025 #14 Madison Keys d. Sabalenka (Australian Open F)
2025 #2 Coco Gauff d. Sabalenka (Roland Garros F)
2025 #12 Amanda Anisimova d. Sabalenka (Wimbledon SF)
2025 #6 Jessie Pegula d. Sabalenka (Wuhan SF)
2026 #32 Hailey Baptiste d. Sabalenka (Madrid QF)
—
5 – Pegula
4 – Gauff
2 – Keys
1 – Anisimova
1 – Baptiste
1 – Brady
1 – Collins
1 – Kenin
1 – Rogers

*CAREER #1 WINS – ACTIVE U.S. WOMEN*
15 – Venus Williams
5 – Jessie Pegula
4 – Coco Gauff
3 – Sofia Kenin
2 – Madison Keys
1 – Amanda Anisimova
1 – Hailey Baptiste
1 – Jennifer Brady
1 – Danielle Collins
—
NOTE: 17-S.Williams, 1-Riske-Amritraj

*2026 – DEFEATED #1 SEED & DEFENDING CHAMPION*
Cirstea: Cluj-Napoca [F-Raducanu, QF-Potapova] – W
Baptiste: Madrid [QF-Sabalenka] – SF

*LONG WTA (MD+BJK only) WINNING STREAKS – 2026*
15 – ARYNA SABALENKA (March-April; ended by Baptiste)
12 – MARTA KOSTYUK (April-active)
11 – Aryna Sabalenka (January; ended by Rybakina)
10 – Elena Svitolina (January; ended by Sabalenka)

*LONG WTA (MD only) WINNING STREAKS – 2020s*
37 – Iga Swiatek (2022)
21 – Iga Swiatek (2024)
18 – Iga Swiatek (2023-24)
17 – Simona Halep (2020)
16 – Coco Gauff (2023)
16 – Madison Keys (2025)
15 – ARYNA SABALENKA (2026)
15 – Danielle Collins (2024)
15 – Aryna Sabalenka (2024)
–
UNDEFEATED NOTE: B.Pera (2022; 13 WTA MD; 12 WTA MD/Q, then 4 WTA 125 MD before loss; 15 WTA Q/MD)
UNDEFEATED NOTE: Rybakina (2025-26; 6 WTA MD, walkover loss, then 7 more)
UNDEFEATED NOTE: Swiatek (2023; 10 WTA MD, walkover loss, then 4 more)
UNDEFEATED NOTE: Garcia (2022; 11 WTA MD, +2 qualifying wins)
UNDEFEATED NOTE: Bencic (2025-26; 6 WTA MD, walkover loss, then 6 more before loss)

*BEST LUCKY LOSER RESULTS IN 2026*
SF: ANASTASIA POTAPOVA, AUT (Madrid 1000)
QF: Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ITA (Doha 1000)
QF: Antonia Ruzic, CRO (Dubai 1000)
QF: Yuan Yue, CHN (Merida 500)

*2026 WTA SINGLES/DOUBLES FINAL IN EVENT*
Abu Dhabi: Ekaterina Alexandrova, RUS (L/W)
Austin: Taylor Townsend, USA (L/W)
Merida: Cristina Bucsa, ESP (W/W)
Madrid: MIRRA ANDREEVA, RUS (L/L)

*2026 – MOST TOP 10 WINS*
7 – Rybakina
5 – Kostyuk, Mboko, Muchova, Sabalenka
4 – Pegula, Svitolina
3 – Baptiste, Bencic
2 – Eala, Ostapenko, Sakkari
[on clay]
2 – Hailey Baptiste
2 – Marta Kostyuk
2 – Karolina Muchova
[wins on multiple surfaces; hard & clay]
Baptiste, Kostyuk, Muchova, Rybakina
[multiple wins in an event, on hard & clay]
Karolina Muchova (Brisbane HC, Stuttgart RC)
Marta Kostyuk (Brisbane HC, Madrid RC)

*2026 WTA DOUBLES TITLES*
4 – KATERINA SINIAKOVA
4 – TAYLOR TOWNSEND
2 – Zhang Shuai
[duos]
3…Siniakova/Townsend
[2020-26 – individuals]
29 – KATERINA SINIAKOVA (1/6/6/3/5/4/4)
15 – Barbora Krejcikova (1/5/3/4/1/1/0)
15 – Elise Mertens (1/4/2/2/3/2/1)
15 – TAYLOR TOWNSEND (1/0/0/3/3/4/4)
13 – Nicole Melichar-Martinez (2/2/2/0/3/3/1)
13 – Luisa Stefani (1/1/2/3/1/4/1)
[2020-26 – duos]
14..Krejcikova/Siniakova (1/5/3/3/1/1/0)
9…Errani/Paolini (0/0/0/1/4/4/0)
8…Aoyama/Shibahara (1/5/0/2/0/0/0)
7…Dabrowski/Routliffe (0/0/0/2/2/3/0)
7…Siegemund/Zvonareva (1/0/2/4/0/0/0)
6…SINIAKOVA/TOWNSEND (0/0/0/0/2/1/3)

*2026 WTA DOUBLES FINALS*
4 (4-0) = KATERINA SINIAKOVA
4 (4-0) = TAYLOR TOWNSEND
4 (3-1) = Zhang Shuai
3 (1-2) = Anna Danilina
3 (1-2) = Aleksandra Krunic
3 (1-2) = Alona Ostapenko
[2026 finals – duos]
3…SINIAKOVA/TOWNSEND (3-0)
3…Danilina/Krunic (1-2)
2…Hsieh/Ostapenko (1-1)
2…Maleckova/Skoch (1-1)

*CAREER WTA DOUBLES TITLES – active*
36 – Sara Errani
36 – Hsieh Su-Wei
36 – KATERINA SINIAKOVA
30 – Bethanie Mattek-Sands
30 – Kristina Mladenovic

*ALL-TIME WEEKS AT WTA DOUBLES #1*
237 – Martina Navratilova
199 – Liezel Huber
182 – KATERINA SINIAKOVA (current, w/ wk. of May 4 & 11)
163 – Cara Black
137 – Lisa Raymond
124 – Natasha Zvereva
111 – Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
110 – Roberta Vinci
—
MOST #1 WD Seasons: 5-Navratilova, 5-Siniakova

WTA Backspin by Todd Spiker: Wk.17- Marta the Inevitable

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The corruption and hypocrisy is right out in the open. They’re not even bothering to pretend to hide it.

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— The Screaming Butt Naked Patriot (@buttnakedpatriot.bsky.social) April 27, 2026 at 10:45 PM


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Acting AG Todd Blanche is indicting Comey for a stupid Instagram post.

AG Merrick Garland refused to prosecute Trump despite a deadly insurrection to violently overthrow US Govt.

I hope Garland knows history will remember him as the feckless Federalist coward whose “norms” helped hasten fascism.

— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@qasimrashid.com) April 28, 2026 at 5:38 PM


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Draw me like one of your French otters…

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— In Otter News (@in-otter-news.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 10:40 AM


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All for now.

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