Tuesday quarterfinal preview: Sabalenka, Baptiste reconverge in Madrid
MADRID -- With the eight quarterfinalists being determined Monday at the Mutua Madrid Open, the first two quarterfinals are set at the fifth WTA Driven by Mercedes-Benz 1000 event of the season.
Over Tuesday and Wednesday, the four singles quarterfinals will be split across the two days, with one featured in both in the day and night sessions. Leylah Fernandez and Mirra Andreeva meet in the day session Tuesday while Aryna Sabalenka and Hailey Baptiste start the night session at La Caja Mágica.
Here's everything to know about Tuesday's quarterfinals:
Order of play
Manolo Santana
11:00 a.m., ATP singles
NB 1:00 p.m., Fernandez vs. Andreeva
NB 4:00 p.m., ATP singles
NB 8:00 p.m. Sabalenka vs. Baptiste
Fernandez vs. Andreeva preview
Head-to-Head: Tied at 1-1
Last meeting: Fernandez 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 at 2023 Hong Kong Round of 16
Fernandez has started to find her form with a transition to the clay. After a difficult start to the season in singles, where she had early exits at the Australian Open, Doha and Indian Wells, she's now reached back-to-back quarterfinals in Stuttgart and now Madrid.
"We've been working hard," Fernandez said Monday prior to Andreeva's win. "To see the results coming in feels good and the way that I'm doing it with calm and positivity, it's the right way."
In Stuttgart, she almost reached the semifinals, forcing eventual champion Elena Rybakina to save match points in a three-set classic. In Madrid, she's remained calm under the pressure with a couple straight-sets wins and a comeback over No. 15 seed Iva Jovic to reach her first quarterfinal at the event. The Canadian seeks her first semifinal since Hong Kong at the end of last season.
"Either player's going to be a tough," Fernandez said. "I just gotta focus on myself, trust my own process, and hopefully things go well."
As for Andreeva, following routine wins in second and third round matches, Anna Bondar certainly tested the 18-year old. After dropping the first set in the tiebreak, Andreeva bounced back in a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (5) tense win that saw the World No. 8 lose a 5-1 lead. Still, she won, but will now have to quickly recover for an afternoon match Monday.
In the clay season as a whole, Andreeva has impressed. With a last minute entry in Linz, she won her second 500-title of the season. In Stuttgart, she reached the semifinals, falling to Rybakina, and she's now back in the Madrid quarterfinals for the third straight year.
"Of course Leylah is a tricky opponent to play against," Andreeva said. "I'll talk to Conchita [Martinez] about the match, about what we have to do, about the plan as well."
Sabalenka vs. Baptiste preview
Head-to-Head: Sabalenka leads 1-0
Last meeting: Sabalenka 6-4, 6-4 at 2026 Miami Open quarterfinals
For the second time in as many WTA 1000 tournaments, Sabalenka and Baptiste meet again in the quarterfinals. The first matchup, back at the Miami Open quarters, Sabalenka edged out the American 6-4, 6-4 en route to ultimately her second straight Miami title and a 2026 Sunshine Double.
The difference in that matchup, which was their lone previous, was Sabalenka's three breaks of serve to Baptiste's one. However, Baptiste is starting to find a rhythm -- that match in Miami was just her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal for the now World No. 32. Plus, it will be a completely different surface, though just as she did in Miami, Baptiste will go against the defending champion.
"I think that I should continue the way I've been playing, playing my game," Baptiste said. "If I can just be a little bit more solid and maybe give her a little bit tougher time on her service games than I think that I have a chance to win, and I believe that I can win."
Baptiste comes off an thrilling three-set win over Belinda Bencic. Baptiste bounced back after losing the longest tiebreak of the season (16-14), where Bencic saved six match points to force a decider. Ultimately, Baptiste won her eighth WTA 1000 main draw win of the season 2026, equalling her most in her career (2025).
As for Sabalenka, with her comeback 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 win over Naomi Osaka Monday, she equalled her longest win streak in WTA 1000 events with 15 from Indian Wells to now, just as many as her stretch from Miami to Madrid and Rome quarters in 2025.
If anyone knows Madrid, it's the three-time champion of the event Sabalenka. The World No. 1 is playing like a World No. 1, winning her last 15 matches with titles at Indian Wells and Miami, though if you ask her about the streak, she doesn't think about it.
"I'm just trying to play every match as good as possible, and basically that's where my focus is," Sabalenka said.