A brand-new experience for Aryna
Aryna Sabalenka strides onwards. The world number one has advanced to the next round at the Mutua Madrid Open after another entertaining bout in the Caja Magica. She has never failed to reach the final in Madrid after winning her opener and is now in the last sixteen. It was by no means a straightforward […]
The ‘failure’ that kick-started Marc López’s career
Marc López is back at the Mutua Madrid Open, but this time his circumstances have changed. For the first time in four years, the Spaniard is not in the Spanish capital as Rafa Nadal’s coach. After the Mallorcan’s retirement, he was quick to undertake a new project and now busies himself shaping the career of the […]
The girl who became a superstar
Two years ago in Madrid, a star was born. Mirra Andreeva, at just 15 years of age, cruised her way into the last sixteen of the Mutua Madrid Open on her WTA 1000 bow. As if that weren’t enough, the teenager turned up at the Caja Magica twelve months later looking like she had never […]
Swiatek, Sabalenka out to capture their clay spark
Twelve months ago, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka produced a masterpiece in the final of the Mutua Madrid Open. In a high-quality duel that lasted three hours and 11 minutes, Swiatek saved three championship points to defeat her familiar foe 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) and capture the title at the Caja Magica for the first time. […]
Rublev comes back to conquer Madrid
The Mutua Madrid Open has a new king. Andrey Rublev’s name is the eleventh to grace the prestigious winners’ circle at the Spanish Masters 1000 after he beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Manolo Santana Stadium (4-6, 7-5, 7-5). The seventh seed needed two hours and 47 minutes to earn himself a place alongside legends such […]
Swiatek dethrones Sabalenka in Madrid
She saved three match and championship points, and ended up on her back on the clay of the Manolo Santana Stadium. The tension of over three hours of relentless battle was finally released as tears rolled down her cheeks. One year on, Iga Swiatek has had her revenge on Aryna Sabalenka in a Mutua Madrid […]
Rublev v Auger-Aliassime: Final preview
When Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime square off on a tennis court, one can always expect a gruelling tug of war will unfold. Their most recent meeting was a two-hour 33-minute duel in the round of 16 in Rotterdam last February, in which Auger-Aliassime held three consecutive match points late in the deciding set before […]
Sabalenka v Swiatek 10.0: Preview
Before the start of this year’s Mutua Madrid Open, Aryna Sabalenka said she felt her level had dipped as of late, making way for Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina to form a ‘Big Two’, rather than it being a ‘Big Three’ that included her. Fast-forward two weeks and Sabalenka has firmly reestablished the ‘Big Three’ […]
Swiatek takes no prisoners in the Caja Magica
Iga Swiatek has given herself a second chance. The Pole is back in the Mutua Madrid Open final one year on as she vies to avenge the defeat there to Aryna Sabalenka (2023). On Thursday, the world No.1 raced to victory over Madison Keys (6-1, 6-3), with the kind of dominance she has produced all […]
‘Calm’ approach key to Vicente guiding Rublev to best form
After his first match at the Caja Magica this fortnight, Andrey Rublev joked that his goal for the season was to “win more than one match”. The No.7 seed arrived in Madrid carrying a four-match losing streak, winless over a stretch of six weeks. “In tennis the good thing is that one week can change […]
