One of the final-round qualifying fixtures at the 2026 Madrid Open will feature former Major champion Sloane Stephens, taking on Anhelina Kalinina. Stephens began her qualifying campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Diane Parry in the first round, whereas Kalinina started her campaign with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Marina Bassols Ribera in the first round.
Match Details for Sloane Stephens vs Anhelina Kalinina
Date: April 21, 2026
Tournament: Madrid Open 2026
Round: Final Round Qualifying
Venue: La Caja Mágica, Madrid, Spain
Surface: Outdoor clay
Category: WTA 1000
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, TSN
Stephens vs Kalinina Head-to-Head
After three meetings, it is Stephens who has a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head against Kalinina. The last time they met, the American player won 6-4, 7-6 (2) at the 2023 Canadian Open. They have played at the Madrid Open once before, when Kalinina beat Stephens 7-5, 6-4 in 2022.
Stephens has not had a great start to 2026, having won only a few main draw matches. She had a good qualifying stint at the Australian Open, where she entered the main draw but lost to Karolina Pliskova in the first round. She got a main draw win at the Miami Open, where she won against Jennifer Brady in the first round, but lost to Zheng Qinwen in the second round. She got a win over Tatjana Maria in the first round of the Linz Open, but was beaten easily by Mirra Andreeva in the second round.
Kalinina has played in a handful of Tour-level events in 2026, not advancing past the second round in any of them. However, the Ukrainian player has been on fire at the Challenger level this year. She has reached four clay-court Challenger finals, winning two titles, including victories over Oleksandra Oliynykova and Tamara Zidansek.
Stephens vs Kalinina Prediction
Stephens has reached three clay-court finals in her career, winning two titles. She reached the final of the 2018 French Open, coming short against Simona Halep. Her last career title came on clay at the 2024 Open de Rouen, where she beat Magda Linette in the final. She is a former semifinalist in Madrid, reaching the last four in 2019, where Kiki Bertens beat her.
Kalinina has yet to win a Tour-level title, but both her career finals have come on clay. She reached the final in Budapest in 2021, where she fell short against Yulia Putintseva. Her most high-profile final appearance was at the 2023 Italian Open, where she had to retire mid-match against Elena Rybakina. Her best run in Madrid came in 2022, where she lost to Jil Teichmann in the quarterfinals.
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Given their respective forms, Kalinina has the slight edge in the upcoming match as she has been in terrific clay-court form and has beaten Stephens at the Madrid Open before.
Pick- Kalinina to win in three sets
