Jelena Ostapenko won't face Iga Swiatek in Madrid after falling to Anastasija Sevastova

Iga Swiatek will not cross paths with Jelena Ostapenko at the Mutua Madrid Open.

A potential fourth-round showdown when the draw came out, Swiatek rallied past Alexandra Eala in second-round action Thursday while Ostapenko went down to a countrywoman on the comeback trail.

At the Porsche Grand Tennis Prix in Stuttgart, Ostapenko improved to 6-0 against Swiatek prior to outclassing world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win Monday’s final. But in making the move from indoor clay to Madrid’s outdoor venue known for its higher altitude conditions, she was tripped up in her first match at the Caja Magica by a familiar face that has been a tough out in the past.

Former US Open semifinalist Anastasija Sevastova backed up her opening win versus Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory over the No. 23 seed.

Down a break early in set two to Ostapenko, Sevastova ran off with the final six games to move through. She now leads Ostapenko 3-0 in their series, with this marking their first encounter since 2019 Stuttgart.

The 35-year-old is in the early stages of a second comeback bid from maternity leave after an ACL injury that required surgery derailed her quest in March 2024. This is just Sevastova’s second event of the year, having returned last week at the ITF 75k in Koper, Slovenia (she won her first match, then retired after forcing a decider with top seed Arantxa Rus).

Diana Shnaider awaits in the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament. The No. 13 seed cruised past Katie Volynets, 6-1, 6-2.