Iga Swiatek of Poland returns the ball against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka (not in photograph) during their women's final match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, May 6, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

WARSAW - After her defeat in the Madrid Open final on Saturday evening, tennis star Iga Swiatek admitted that her rival Aryna Sabalenka deserved the title as she played with great intensity.

Second-seeded Sabalenka won the women's title in the Madrid Open tennis tournament after a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over top-seeded Swiatek in a final that lasted two hours and 26 minutes.

"Congratulations, she deserved it. She always plays with great intensity. We're both having a very good season, and I think we'll see each other in a lot of finals," Swiatek was quoted as saying by Polish media on Sunday.

The WTA Rankings leader returned to the tennis court after an injury in April.

READ MORE: Sabalenka beats world number one Swiatek to win Madrid title

"I'd like to thank all my staff. Thanks to these people, I could play here at a high level. I'm also grateful to my family for their support," the Pole added.