Karolina Pliskova looked a bit like her old self at the Madrid Open on Monday, reaching a WTA 1000 quarter-final for the first time in over two years after a straight-sets win over Solana Sierra.
Pliskova’s rise to world number one came in 2017, but injuries have seen her drop out of the top 100. Two surgeries on her left ankle followed an injury suffered at the 2024 US Open.
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She returned late in 2025 and has played seven WTA events since then, including this year’s Australian Open.
This season has been up and down for Pliskova, but she seems to be finding some form again at the Madrid Open, where she’s now just two wins away from making her first final since 2022.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Pliskova sets new WTA record with quarter-final run in Madrid
Pliskova has been enjoying a good week in Madrid, which began with a comeback win over Sinja Kraus. She then knocked out Maria Sakkari before defeating 19th seed Elise Mertens to reach the fourth round.
There, Pliskova claimed another straight-sets victory over Sierra, and along with it, a spot in the quarter-finals.
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She is now the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist ever at the event since its inception in 2009, overtaking Patricia Maria Tig (134th), who reached that stage back in 2016.
Who will Karolina Pliskova play next in Madrid
Pliskova is set to take on either world number two Elena Rybakina or Anastasia Potapova in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open.
She’s only faced Potapova once before, and that was at the Qatar Open back in 2024, a match Pliskova won.
But against Rybakina, it’s been a different story. The head-to-head stands at 4-0 to the Kazakh, with their most recent clash coming at the 2024 Australian Open, where Rybakina won in straight sets.
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