Victoria Azarenka’s chances of winning the Madrid Open came to a swift end.
The Belarusian had reached the final in the Spanish capital on two previous occasions but she was unable to return to the championship match this year.
The two-time Grand Slam champion has struggled this season having won just three matches so far.
But Azarenka could not reach the next round of the Madrid Open after falling short against Serbia’s Olga Danilović.
Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty ImagesVictoria Azarenka’s Madrid Open defeat creates WTA Tour rankings history
Victoria Azarenka took on Danilović after returning following an injury sustained at the Miami Open.
She faced the 24-year-old for the first time and Danilović stormed to victory, winning 6-4, 6-2 in just 90 minutes.
Danilović is in imperious form as she lost just one of her last 12 matches, while Azarenka’s tough season continues.
The former World number one’s defeat marks the end of an era as she will drop out of the top 50 after the Madrid Open.
When this happens, there will no longer be any player born in the 1980s ranked inside the WTA’s top 50.
This has not happened since May 1995, which marks the end of the generation in women’s tennis that contributed so much to the game.
Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty ImagesHow many WTA players born in the 1980s have won Grand Slams?
Players born in the 1980s made a significant contribution to women’s tennis.
16 players born in this decade lifted Grand Slam titles, and the first player to do this was Martina Hingis back in 1997, when she won the Australian Open.
The last player born in the 1980s to win a Grand Slam was Angelique Kerber, who beat Serena Williams to win the 2016 Australian Open.
Speaking of Williams, she won the most majors from players born in the aforementioned decade.
The American won 23 Grand Slams in her career, the first of which came at the 1999 US Open, and the last came at Melbourne Park in 2017, when she defeated her sister Venus Williams, who claimed seven majors of her own.