Maya Joint Breaks Ash Barty’s Record at Madrid Open

Madrid, Spain – Australian teenager Maya Joint achieved a significant milestone on Wednesday by earning her first WTA 1000 match victory at the Madrid Open. The 19-year-old overcame local wildcard Carlota Martinez Cirez with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Just five days after celebrating her 19th birthday, Joint made history by becoming the youngest Australian to win a WTA match at the ‘Masters’ level since the event’s inception in 2009. The previous record was held by Ash Barty, who won at the Miami Open in 2017 at the age of 20 years and 330 days.

This match marked Joint’s debut in a tour-level clay-court event, and she entered the match after securing impressive victories over seasoned players Sara Errani and Jil Teichmann during the qualifying rounds. Although she struggled during the second set, Joint showcased her talent and resilience to close out the match decisively in the final set.

Joint, currently ranked No. 78 in the world, had to rally after losing her grip in the second set. With her victory, which lasted two hours and seven minutes, she now prepares to face American world No. 10 Emma Navarro in the tournament’s second round on Thursday.

Among her fellow Australian competitors, Ajla Tomljanovic faced disappointment as she was eliminated in the first round following a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 defeat to world No. 153 Rebeka Masarova. Kim Birrell also lost to American Peyton Stearns earlier in the tournament.

Now, Joint is one of the remaining two Australian women in the draw, alongside Daria Kasatkina, who received a bye in the first round and will compete against American Alycia Parks. Joint’s milestone victory sets the stage for her future in professional tennis as she aims for continued success at events like the upcoming French Open.