Skip to main content
  • Shop
  • Newsletters
  • WTA Apps
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

About WTA's Privacy and Cookie Policies

We use cookies to provide our services and for analytics and marketing. To find out more about our use of cookies and how you can disable them, please see our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse our website, you agree to our use of cookies. Click here to find out more info.

Logo for the Women's Tennis Association Go back to the home page
  • Tournaments
  • Scores
  • Rankings
    • Players
    • Head to Head
    • Doubles
    • Coaches
  • Netflix
    • News
    • Videos
    • Photos
    • WTA Insider
    • WTA Finals
  • Stats
    • About the WTA
    • Sweepstakes
    • Original 9
    • WTA For The Game
    • WTA Charities
    • WTA Cookbook
    • Newsletters
    • WTA Apps
    • Broadcast
  • Tournaments
  • Scores
  • Rankings
  • News
  • Videos
  • Tournaments
  • Scores
  • Rankings
    • Players
    • Head to Head
    • Doubles
    • Coaches
  • Netflix
    • News
    • Videos
    • Photos
    • WTA Insider
    • WTA Finals
  • Stats
    • About the WTA
    • Sweepstakes
    • Original 9
    • WTA For The Game
    • WTA Charities
    • WTA Cookbook
    • Newsletters
    • WTA Apps
    • Broadcast
Memory Lane May 6, 2020

Madrid Memories 2017: Halep's title defence, Bouchard's statement win

From Eugenie Bouchard's electric defeat of Maria Sharapova to Kristina Mladenovic's surging form and the first successful title defence of Simona Halep's career, look back on the story of the 2017 Mutua Madrid Open.

01 /22
Qualifier Zheng Saisai pulled off a first-round shock, saving two match points to oust Elina Svitolina 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 for her fourth Top 10 win. Svitolina was fresh off the Istanbul title, and would also win Rome the following week.

Photo by Getty

02 /22
A positive tournament for rising Chinese players also saw future World No.12 Wang Qiang, on the verge of cracking the Top 50 and making her Madrid debut, qualify and reach the third round with wins over Caroline Garcia and Zheng Saisai.

Photo by Getty

03 /22
Misaki Doi dealt out a thrilling 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 first-round upset over No.9 seed Madison Keys - the Japanese player's sixth career Top 20 victory, and best of her career to date by ranking.

Photo by Getty

04 /22
Playing in Madrid for the last time in her career, former US Open runner-up Roberta Vinci still had enough tricks to hold off rising 19-year-old and fellow finesse merchant Daria Kasatkina in a seesaw 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 first round.

Photo by Getty

05 /22
2009 finalist and No.10 seed Caroline Wozniacki kicked off her campaign with a 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 marathon win over Monica Niculescu - the longest match of this year's edition of the tournament.

Photo by Getty

06 /22
Timea Bacsinszky dealt No.5 seed and reigning Roland Garros champion Garbiñe Muguruza her second first-round exit in a row 6-1, 6-3; the Swiss player would reach her second Roland Garros semifinal a month later.

Photo by Getty

07 /22
Anastasija Sevastova put on a claycourt clinic in the second round, taking the second Top 3 scalp of her career with a 6-3, 6-3 upset of No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova.

Photo by Getty

08 /22
Fresh off a run to the Stuttgart final, surging No.14 seed Kristina Mladenovic survived a late fightback from Lauren Davis to take their second-round clash 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(1).

Photo by Getty

09 /22
An electric second-round affair saw Eugenie Bouchard - who had been on a six-match losing streak at WTA level coming into the tournament - halt wildcard Maria Sharapova's return to the sport 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.

Photo by Getty

10 /22
Rising 20-year-old Oceane Dodin, a few weeks from cracking the Top 50, scored her first Top 10 win in the second round with a 6-2, 6-4 upset of the previous year's runner-up, No.4 seed Dominika Cibulkova.

Photo by Getty

11 /22
In the second round, defending champion Simona Halep found herself trailing Roberta Vinci 2-5 in the decider, and was two points from relinquishing her crown - but the No.3 seed roared back, taking 11 of the last 13 points for a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(2) win.

Photo by Getty

12 /22
CoCo Vandeweghe's clay main draw record before this week had been a mere 5-13, but the American took three-setters over Stuttgart champion Laura Siegemund and Carla Suárez Navarro to reach her first quarterfinal on the surface.

Photo by Getty

13 /22
Top seed Angelique Kerber had to overcome a 3-5 final-set deficit to beat Katerina Siniakova in round two and retired down 3-6, 0-5 to Eugenie Bouchard in round three due to a thigh injury, but nonetheless retook the World No.1 ranking the following week.

Photo by Getty

14 /22
Kiki Bertens, who had cracked the Top 20 three months earlier, defeated Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 7-5 to reach her first Madrid quarterfinal - part of a run of form that saw the Dutchwoman go on to reach the Rome semifinals and defend her Nurnberg title.

Photo by Getty

15 /22
In the third round, Simona Halep kept her title defence quest alive with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over No.16 seed Samantha Stosur, her second victory over the Australian that went down to the wire over in 2017

Photo by Getty

16 /22
No.8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova had needed to save a match point in the second round against Alison Riske, but the 2015 runner-up powered past Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-0 to seal her second Madrid quarterfinal.

Photo by Getty

17 /22
Anastasija Sevastova was the only semifinalist to reach that stage without dropping a set, defeating Kiki Bertens 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals - a run that moved the Latvian into the Top 20 for the first time.

Photo by Getty

18 /22
After her early-round three-setters, Simona Halep's title defence hit its stride as she dismissed CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1, 6-1 and Anastasija Sevastova 6-2, 6-3 to move into her second straight Madrid final.

Photo by Getty

19 /22
Meanwhile, Kristina Mladenovic continued her hot streak, posting her fourth Top 10 win of 2017 over Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 7-6(4) in the semifinals to reach her second final in a row and fourth of the season.

Photo by Getty

20 /22
In a top-quality final, Simona Halep was two points from a straight-set win but withstood a fightback from Kristina Mladenovic to seal the first successful title defence of her career 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 after two hours and 44 minutes.

Photo by Getty

21 /22
Halep's 15th career title, and eighth at Premier level, bounced the Romanian back into the Top 5, while Mladenovic entered the Top 15 for the first time - and would continue her surge with a maiden Roland Garros quarterfinal the following month.

Photo by Getty

22 /22
Madrid was the first of five finals Halep would reach in 2017, including Rome and Roland Garros, and was key to her ascension to World No.1 that October - but it was the only one the Romanian would win.

Photo by Getty

Latest News

  • Australian Open roundup: How surprising was Sabalenka's run?

    2023 Australian Open
  • Raducanu joins field at inaugural ATX Open in Austin

    2023 Austin
  • Rankings Watch: Rybakina makes Top 10 debut, Sabalenka returns to No.2

    Rankings Update
  • Week in Review: Sabalenka breaks through, new faces emerge

    2023 Australian Open
  • Get the Gear: Check out Sabalenka's look in Melbourne

    WTA Fashion
  • The 2023 Australian Open by the numbers

    2023 Australian Open

SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS

Get official communications from the WTA and ATP, delivered straight to your e-mail! We’ll keep you informed on all you need to know across the Tours, including news, players, tournaments, features, competitions, offers and more.

Will be used in accordance with the WTA Privacy Policy and the ATP Privacy Policy

Title Partner

  • Hologic

Global Partners

  • Porsche
  • SAP
  • Whoop
  • Modern Health

Follow WTA on Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Weibo
Logo for Women's Tennis Association
  • About the WTA
  • Management Team
  • Board of Directors
  • Partnership Opportunities
  • Job Opportunities
  • WTA Rules
  • Player Development
  • Anti-Doping
  • Official Guide
  • Press Center
  • WTA Insider Podcast
  • WTA For The Game

Affiliates

  • International Tennis Federation
  • ATP Tour
  • US Open Series
  • Billie Jean King Cup
  • International Tennis Hall of Fame
  • Women's Sports Foundation
  • World TeamTennis
  • International Tennis Integrity Agency
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Notice
  • Social Media Policy
  • Official Partners
  • Contact
  • Newsletters
  • WTA Apps
© 2023 WTA TOUR, INC. | WTA AND THE WTA LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF THE WTA TOUR, INC.