Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel congratulates Iga Swiatek on her maiden Madrid Open triumph

Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel has extended her heartfelt congratulations to Iga Swiatek on her triumph at the 2024 Madrid Open.

On the hunt for her third WTA 1000 title of the season, Swiatek took on Aryna Sabalenka in a blockbuster title clash in Madrid. In a closely contested battle, both players claimed a set each to force a decider.

The World No. 1 displayed her resilience in the third set, fending off three championship points to secure a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) victory in three hours and 11 minutes. With the triumph, the 22-year-old clinched her maiden Madrid Open title, avenging her loss to Sabalenka in last year's final.

Following her victory, Iga Swiatek took to social media to express her pride and joy at the accomplishment. She also looked ahead to her participation at the Italian Open, which commences on Tuesday, May 7.

"🏆 What a match that was...no words needed. Proud and happy I’m heading to Rome. See you there!" she captioned her Instagram post.

Amid the flood of congratulatory messages, Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel also joined in, commending the World No. 1 on her victory.

"Congraats Iga 👏👏😄," she commented.

Maribel's comment on Iga Swiatek's Instagram post

Maribel has shared her appreciation for Iga Swiatek's achievements on previous occasions as well, congratulating the Pole on her triumph at the 2023 WTA Finals.

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Iga Swiatek shares how Rafael Nadal gave her "hope" during narrow escape against Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid Open final

Iga Swiatek (left) and Rafael Nadal

Following her triumph over Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final, Iga Swiatek opened up about her mental state during the match, disclosing that she felt at her best mentally in the third set after feeling like her efforts had been futile in two hours of the clash.

"Physically and tennis-wise, I wasn't surprised (I could maintain the high level for three hours), but I was surprised that in the third set, I felt the best mentally," she said in her post-match press conference.

"Because, yeah, I actually felt like I needed to dig through for these two hours and it didn't really work. I was, like, 'Oh, my God, am I going to feel a little bit more loose soon?'" she added.

The Pole revealed that what gave her "hope" during the challenging moments in the contest was recalling Rafael Nadal's remarkable comeback against Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final.

"I remember exactly when he was playing Medvedev in Australia, and it clicked for him. He also struggled for a bit of time, he was tense, and I think stressed. That kind of gave me hope that maybe it will click, even after two hours," she said.

Nadal and Iga Swiatek will be in action at the Italian Open next, marking their final stop before the French Open.