Iga Swiatek swept past Coco Gauff to reach the Rome Open final on Thursday where Aryna Sabalenka will stand in her way of a third title and her bid to match a Serena Williams record.
Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time.
"Today was the test of fire, no discomfort, feeling spectacular... from here, we'll be getting better."
Defending Madrid Open champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both triumphed in their opening clashes in the Spanish capital on Friday to reach the third round.
Top seed Swiatek, the 2022 and 2023 champion at the German clay-court tournament, saw off former US Open champion Raducanu 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.
"Konstantin's death is an unthinkable tragedy," Sabalenka said in a statement released by her agent.
Sabalenka's partner, Belarusian former NHL ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, 42, died late Monday after jumping from the balcony of a room in an upmarket resort in Miami, police said.
Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42, Russian club Salavat Yulaev said in a statement on Tuesday.
An authoritative Aryna Sabalenka blew China's Zheng Qinwen off court on Saturday to successfully defend her Australian Open title -- the first woman to do so in more than a decade.
Women's tennis chiefs on Monday pleaded with spectators to show "understanding and respect" when Ukraine players refuse to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents in protest at the ongoing war in their country.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a set down to beat France's Varvara Gracheva 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 and reach the last 32 at Wimbledon on Friday.
Unseeded Karolina Muchova saved a match point before battling past second seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(5) 6-7(5) 7-5 on Thursday to reach the French Open final in thrilling fashion and end the Belarusian's dream of becoming world number one.
Elina Svitolina accused Aryna Sabalenka of deliberately "inflaming" the tense stand-off between Ukraine and Belarus players at the French Open on Tuesday by staring her down at the net.
World number two Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus powered past Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-4 in a highly anticipated clash on Tuesday to reach the French Open semi-finals.
Aryna Sabalenka beat 2018 finalist Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a topsy-turvy encounter in the night session -- the first women's match to feature in the primetime slot this year.
The Belarusian second seed is yet to drop a set in the tournament after a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win against the world number 82.
World number two Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the French Open third round on Wednesday with a straight-sets win over fellow Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich.
The big-hitting Belarusian gained revenge for defeat by her Polish rival in the Stuttgart final a fortnight ago with a thrilling triumph to end Swiatek's nine-match winning streak ahead of her French Open defence
Rybakina, playing in her first WTA 1000 final, saved three set points in the opening frame and was never really tested in the second where she cruised to a victory that will send her to a career-high seventh in the rankings