Anna Bondar Just Beat a Top-10 Player for the First Time and the Madrid Draw Knows It

Hungary's Anna Bondar did something she'd never done before on Thursday at the Mutua Madrid Open: she walked off the clay having defeated a top-10 opponent. The second-round upset? A clean 6-3, 6-4 dismantling of No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in 87 minutes flat. This wasn't a squeaker. Bondar struck six aces, saved every single break point she faced (all six of them), and finished with 27 winners against just nine unforced errors. That's the kind of performance that doesn't happen by accident.

Bondar Brought Everything She Had

After the match, Bondar knew exactly what had clicked. "I knew I had to bring my 'A' game, which I think I did today," she said in her on-court interview. "I played against her three times last year, so I knew what to expect. I think the conditions fit my game here really well. I like to use my heavy forehand, so I think that was one of the keys today." The heavy forehand was no joke either. On the clay in Madrid, where power and topspin matter, Bondar's game just worked. Svitolina, meanwhile, took a medical timeout for her ankle while trailing 3-2 in the second set, but it wasn't enough to spark a comeback.

History, and a Teenager Waiting in Round Three

This win made history. Bondar became the first Hungarian woman to defeat a top-10 opponent since Timea Babos pulled it off at the 2018 Australian Open. Now she's headed to the third round to face 18-year-old Czech teenager Laura Samson, who just became the first player born in 2008 or later to reach the third round at the WTA 1000 level or above. Samson got there by destroying No. 28 seed Xinyu Wang of China, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Elsewhere in Madrid, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus cruised past Peyton Stearns, 7-5, 6-3, in 95 minutes, converting four of 13 break points. Sabalenka is riding a 13-match winning streak and next faces No. 29 seed Jacqueline Cristian of Romania. No. 4 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland, the defending 2024 Madrid champion, demolished Daria Snigur of Ukraine in just 61 minutes with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.