Game, set and eternity: Nadal
The close of play on Tuesday provided one of the most special moments in the history of the Mutua Madrid Open. The stroke of midnight between April 30 and May 1 2024 in the Caja Magica marked the moment of the final farewell to the Caja Magica from the five-time champion of the tournament (2005, […]
Keys emulates Williams sisters with great escape against Jabeur
Coming into Madrid, the last time Madison Keys had won three matches in a row was at the 2023 US Open eight months ago. The American power-hitter missed the first two months of this season with a shoulder injury – she tore her latissimus dorsi muscle just two weeks before flying to Australia to kick […]
Cerúndolo sinks two-time champion Zverev
Francisco Cerúndolo was not daunted by the 13-centimetre height between him and the man on the other side of the net, Alexander Zverev. Solid from the baseline, opening up angles, playing drop shots and daring passes, the Argentine played out of his skin on Tuesday on the clay of the Arantxa Sánchez Stadium. The Buenos […]
«The support I’m getting this year in Madrid is even more special, if that’s possible»
“It’s positive, because now I don’t feel that something went wrong with my body. Let’s see what happens tomorrow. But I’m gonna try. I’m gonna do things the right way to try to be ready for tomorrow”, Rafael Nadal assured the media on Monday shortly after coming through another match, this one requiring three hours […]
Being an inspiration fuels Swiatek
Iga Swiatek shot to stardom almost overnight. She started the 2020 Roland Garros tournament as an unseeded teenager ranked 54 in the world and finished it as Poland’s first ever Grand Slam singles champion. The rest, as they say, is history, as Swiatek penned more chapters to her storied career – from winning more majors, […]
Sabalenka bares her teeth in the Caja Magica
Aryna Sabalenka battled for two hours to fend off a feisty Robin Montgomery under the lights of the Manolo Santana Stadium (6-1, 6-7[5], 6-4) and seal her ticket to the last sixteen of the Mutua Madrid Open. “She played an unbelievable tennis, fighting for every point and giving all as a young player with nothing […]
Nadal prepares to go another round in the Manolo Santana Stadium
There’s no greater incentive than savouring every shot, every point and every celebration with the complicity of the Madrid fans as if it were the last. This is Rafael Nadal’s mindset at this year’s Mutua Madrid Open, which he has already regaled with two unexpected episodes. On Monday he will be hoping to carve out […]
‘Proud’ Kasatkina is a woman on a mission
A while ago, Daria Kasatkina, and her girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, took it upon themselves to give the world a behind-the-scenes look at life on the professional tennis circuit. Through their YouTube channel, ‘What the Vlog’, they began documenting every stop they make on tour, sharing a unique insight into what it’s really like playing tennis […]
Perfect opener for Sinner at the MMOPEN
Jannik Sinner showed why he is the number one seed in the men’s competition at the Mutua Madrid Open with a straightforward win on Saturday over Lorenzo Sonego (6-0, 6-3) in an all-Italian clash in the Manolo Santana Stadium. “I know him really well because we play Davis Cup together and we are good friends. […]
Monteiro serves up a surprise to send Tsitsipas packing
Thiago Monteiro spent a good portion of his childhood being driven around by his older brother Faber for hours and hours, from one tournament to another across Brazil, trying to make it as a young tennis player. He was adopted as a newborn baby and his mother Fatima raised him and his siblings as a […]