Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk to clash in Madrid Open final after contrasting semifinal wins

Key facts

• Mirra Andreeva, 19, defeated Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) in the semifinals.
• Marta Kostyuk, 23, beat lucky loser Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in the other semifinal.
• Andreeva is the second-youngest finalist in Madrid Open history, behind Caroline Wozniacki.
• Kostyuk could become only the second player ranked outside the Top 20 to win the Madrid Open (Aravane Rezaï, No. 24 in 2010).
• Andreeva has won 12 of her 13 clay-court matches this season, including the Linz title.
• Kostyuk is into her third final of 2026.
• The final is scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. local (4 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EST) at Estadio Manolo Santana.

Two rising stars set for Madrid showdown

Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk will meet in the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open final on Saturday, each seeking a first title at La Caja Mágica. The championship match, scheduled for 5 p.m. local time at Estadio Manolo Santana, marks the second encounter between the two this season on the WTA Tour. Andreeva, the ninth seed, reached her first Madrid final by overcoming Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) in a tense semifinal. The 19-year-old Russian served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but was broken, then saved three set points in the tiebreak before clinching victory. "Honestly, I feel so much adrenaline inside. I feel like I'm still nervous. I'm just so happy that I won and that I was able to save all those set points," Andreeva said. "The serve helped me a lot. I'm so, so happy - I cannot really find ways to describe what I'm feeling right now."

Kostyuk battles through error-strewn semifinal

Kostyuk, the 26th seed, advanced to her first WTA 1000 final with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 victory over lucky loser Anastasia Potapova. The match was marked by swings in momentum: Kostyuk won the first set with two breaks, lost the second in 30 minutes, then raced to a 4-0 lead in the decider. After closing out the match, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with her Russian-born opponent, a gesture that underscored the geopolitical tensions that have shadowed the tour. The Ukrainian has now reached her third final of 2026 and could become only the second player ranked outside the Top 20 to win the Madrid Open, following Aravane Rezaï (No. 24 in 2010).

Andreeva's clay-court surge continues

Andreeva, who turned 19 earlier this week, has been dominant on clay this season. She has won 12 of her 13 matches on the surface, taking the title in Linz and reaching the semifinals in Stuttgart. In Madrid, she grinded through the draw with the help of a 3-1 record in tiebreaks, including a 7-6 (5) fourth-round win over Anna Bondar and a 7-6 (1) quarterfinal victory against Leylah Fernandez. Her path to the final included a first-round bye, then straight-sets wins over Panna Udvardy, Dalma Galfi, Bondar, Fernandez, and Baptiste. Andreeva becomes the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 finals and the second-youngest finalist in Madrid tournament history, behind Caroline Wozniacki.

Kostyuk's resilient run to the final

Kostyuk's route to the championship match featured a first-round bye followed by victories over Yulia Putintseva (6-1, 6-3), Jessica Pegula (6-1, 6-4), Caty McNally (6-2, 6-3), Linda Noskova (7-6 (1), 6-0), and Potapova. Her quarterfinal against Noskova was particularly dominant, dropping just one game after a tight first-set tiebreak. Kostyuk's ability to recover from a second-set dip against Potapova demonstrated her resilience. After losing the second set in 30 minutes, she regrouped to win the decider 6-1, breaking Potapova twice and holding serve comfortably.

Men's tournament sees upsets and familiar faces

In the men's draw, defending champion Casper Ruud was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Belgian Alexander Blockx, 6-4, 6-4. Blockx, 21, who broke into the top 100 for the first time last month and is at a career-high 69th, has knocked out four consecutive seeds, including third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime. He will face Alexander Zverev in his first tour-level semifinal. Zverev, a two-time Madrid champion, defeated Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-4, avenging a loss to Cobolli in the Munich final 12 days ago. The German has now reached the semifinals in seven of his past eight Masters 1000 tournaments. Top seed Jannik Sinner will face 21st seed Arthur Fils in the other semifinal after both won their quarterfinals on Wednesday.

What's at stake in Saturday's final

For Andreeva, a victory would be her second title of the clay season and her first at a WTA 1000 event. For Kostyuk, winning would mark her first WTA 1000 title and a significant career milestone, especially as she is currently ranked outside the Top 20. The match also carries geopolitical undertones, given the players' nationalities and Kostyuk's refusal to shake hands with Russian opponents. The doubles final will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. local time. Both finals will be held at Estadio Manolo Santana, with the singles championship serving as the marquee event.

The bottom line

• Mirra Andreeva, 19, has won 12 of 13 clay matches this season and is the second-youngest Madrid finalist ever.
• Marta Kostyuk, 23, reaches her first WTA 1000 final and could become only the second player outside the Top 20 to win Madrid.
• Andreeva saved three set points in her semifinal win over Hailey Baptiste, who had upset world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
• Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova after her semifinal victory.
• The final is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. local time at Estadio Manolo Santana.