Madrid draw: Top seed Swiatek, defending champ Sabalenka lead the field

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Sabalenka, Swiatek - 2023 Madrid final

The stage is set for this season's first WTA 1000 clay-court event after the Mutua Madrid Open main draw was made on Sunday.

96 players will compete for the prestigious singles title at the two-week, outdoor red clay event. The 32 seeded players receive first-round byes.

Main-draw action kicks off on Tuesday, April 23. Here is a snapshot of the main draw:

First quarter

World No.1 Iga Swiatek

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. After her first-round bye, Swiatek will meet either Wang Xiyu or Ana Bogdan
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in the second round.

Located in Swiatek's section is Elina Svitolina

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, the No.23 seed. Either of those former Top 10 players could be a fourth-round opponent for Swiatek if the top seed makes it that far.

No.5 seed Maria Sakkari

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, the No.11 seed, in the Round of 16 if seedings hold.

A potential second-round hurdle for Haddad Maia could be former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki

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Second quarter

No.3 seed Coco Gauff

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or 17-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova in the second round.

Another returning mom and former World No.1, Naomi Osaka

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Two Top 10 players are on the other side of this quarter, with No.8 seed Ons Jabeur

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possibly headed for a Round-of-16 clash. Jabeur won the Madrid title in 2022.

Emma Raducanu

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Third quarter

No.4 seed Elena Rybakina

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Rybakina will play either Lucia Bronzetti

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in the third round, which would be a rematch of Sunday's Stuttgart final.

The other side of the quarter boasts No.6 seed Zheng Qinwen and No.10 seed Daria Kasatkina

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Champions Reel: How Aryna Sabalenka won Madrid 2023

Fourth quarter

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka

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or last week's Rouen runner-up
Magda Linette
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.

Sabalenka might play one of the spring's hottest players, No.13 seed Danielle Collins

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, seeded No.22, is a possible spoiler in this section.

No.7 seed Marketa Vondrousova

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reside on the other side of the quarter. Paolini is the only player other than Swiatek and Collins to have won a WTA 1000 title this year, triumphing in Dubai in February.