The third-seeded Gauff is set to begin her Madrid campaign against Arantxa Rus, with wild card Amanda Anisimova possibly being her next opponent. Naomi Osaka could be waiting in the last 16 for her. On the other hand, Sabalenka will face either Magda Linette or Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her opening match, with Danielle Collins potentially being her last-16 opponent.
Among the 13 American women in the Madrid singles draw, Gauff’s record coming into Madrid is 19-6 for the year, tied for the fifth-most wins on the 2024 season. However, she has yet to find success in Madrid, with a record of just 3-3. Her best performance in the Spanish capital was making it to the last 16 in 2022. Meanwhile, Sabalenka is a two-time champion in Madrid, having defeated world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in last year’s final and Ashleigh Barty in the 2021 title match.
After winning the 2023 US Open, Gauff reached a career-high world No. 3 ranking. Her victory over Sabalenka in the final with a score of 2-6, 6-3, and 6-2 marked her first Grand Slam singles title.