Stats corner: Svitolina tops Rybakina to stay perfect on clay in 2025

Elina Svitolina remains undefeated on clay this year -- in fact, she hasn't dropped a set on the surface in 2025.

The No. 17 seed from Ukraine extended her stellar clay-court streak with an impressive 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 10 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday night.

Madrid: Draws | Scores | Order of play

Svitolina took 1 hour and 24 minutes to dismiss last year's Madrid semifinalist Rybakina in their third-round showdown. With the win, Svitolina leveled their overall head-to-head at 3-3, and she leads Rybakina 2-1 on clay.

Here are some more key stats surrounding the match:

1: This is the first time Svitolina has made it into the Madrid Round of 16. Her clay-court bona fides are excellent, including back-to-back WTA 1000 titles at Rome in 2017 and 2018, but her Madrid record still stands at a below-par 5-9. Svitolina had lost five straight matches at this event before she picked up her two wins this year.

9: Maybe Svitolina's 9-0 start to the 2025 clay-court season is turning that Madrid record around. She won two Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier matches on clay to begin the swing, then claimed the Rouen title last week -- her seventh clay-court title and 18th WTA title overall. Rouen was Svitolina's first title in nearly two years, dating back to another clay-court crown: 2023 Strasbourg.

Including the BJK Cup, Svitolina has registered nine consecutive wins for the first time, on any surface, since she won nine straight matches spanning Chicago and the US Open in 2021.

2: Svitolina never faced a break point on Sunday until a crucial game at 6-3, 4-3, where Rybakina cracked two fierce forehands to earn her only two break points of the match. Svitolina stayed completely placid as she erased the pair with a rally backhand and unreturnable serve respectively. She found more of her best deliveries to grind through that close game, attaining victory without losing serve.

48: Rybakina fired 24 winners to Svitolina's 10, but the former Wimbledon champion came unglued with 48 unforced errors, exactly double her winner total.

1-6: After Sunday's match, Rybakina sits at 1-6 vs. Top 20 players this year. Her only Top 20 win of 2025 came over Paula Badosa in Dubai. Rybakina is currently ranked World No. 11 -- this is her first week outside the Top 10 since January of 2023.

3: Meanwhile, Madrid has been an incredibly strong event for the Ukrainians, who have three representatives in the Round of 16. Svitolina joins No. 24 seed Marta Kostyuk and qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in the second week.

2-2: Former World No. 3 Svitolina will next face another player who has peaked at No. 3 in the PIF WTA Rankings: Maria Sakkari of Greece, who upset No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini earlier on Sunday. Their head-to-head is tied at 2-2 and this will be their first meeting on clay.