Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos return to the Mutua Madrid Open in a very special position. The Spanish-Argentine duo begin their title defence on Sunday (11:00 am CET) as the world’s number one doubles team, a position they first earned here in Madrid. In 2024, the pair reached the top of the ATP doubles rankings for the first time after a dramatic quarterfinal win, despite having to save multiple match points, and Zeballos picking up an injury in the closing stages.
Two years on, Granollers and Zeballos return to the Caja Magica once again at the top of the world rankings, and they face a historic challenge. The reigning champions are bidding to lift the Madrid title for the third time as a team, having won it in 2021 and 2025. If they succeed, they will match the Bryan brothers as the only duo with three titles in the Caja Magica.
The stat puts their mission into perspective. Mike and Bob Bryan won in Madrid in 2010, 2011, and 2013, after the tournament moved to the Caja Magica, and they remain the benchmark for doubles at the event. In total, the Americans have five titles at the tournament, including those won previously at the Madrid Arena, but since the move to the current venue, nobody has managed to match their three crowns. However, Granollers and Zeballos have the opportunity to do so this year.
Their opener will be against Valentin Vacherot and Romain Arneodo. The Monegasque pair will provide the first hurdle for the top seeds. Vacherot enters the doubles draw after losing to Emilio Nava in the singles, a tough defeat after a string of good performances in recent months. Alongside Arneodo, he will be vying to extend that positive momentum in a discipline where lapses are quickly punished.
The draw is not an easy one for Granollers and Zeballos. In their section, a possible quarterfinal clash looms with Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, one of the most solid pairs on the tour.
Also worth watching are Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo, a twosome capable of shaking things up in a tough bracket. The German brings power in the serve and from the baseline, while Melo offers extensive doubles experience and knows how to compete in high-pressure scenarios.
Among the main title contenders are Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash, the second seeds. The British pair arrive as one of the biggest threats in the draw and as serious rivals in the battle for the doubles crown in Madrid.
Granollers and Zeballos thus embark on this year’s Mutua Madrid Open with a double responsibility; defending the title and their number one ranking. In fact, the fight to stay at the top will be fierce. Neal Skupski could oust Horacio and Marcel from their perch. The Spanish-Argentine duo will practically have to retain the title if they want to arrive in Rome still at the top. Madrid was the tournament where they made their decisive leap to the summit of the rankings, now they are back as kings of the tour and with the chance to match a record that, since the move to the Caja Magica, the Bryan brothers hold on their own.