Alexander Zverev knows the Manolo Santana Stadium like the back of his hand. On Friday, as we have come to expect, he found a way to exit it with a smile on his face.
The German starts this week as the top seed at the Mutua Madrid Open, where his wins in 2018 and 2021 grant him extra respect in the Spanish capital. The Caja Magica has long been one of his favourite venues on the clay swing, and the Hamburg native looks more than ready to make the most of his current form.
With a stellar performance, Zverev cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Roberto Bautista Agut, one of the best-loved players by the fans in Madrid. The German only needed 70 minutes to see off his opponent, closing out the match without a single break of his service. His delivery, which was an essential part of his two triumphs in the Spanish capital, was working to perfection once again under a scorching sun.
“It was a good match, I knew I had to focus against Roberto”, said Zverev. “I was aware of how tough the match would be, so I’m very happy with the win”.
Players with the most singles wins at the Mutua Madrid Open
| Player | Wins |
| Rafael Nadal | 59 |
| Roger Federer | 37 |
| Novak Djokovic | 30 |
| Andy Murray | 29 |
| Alexander Zverev | 24 |
Zverev’s latest victory will bolster his status at the Mutua Madrid Open, where he has his own special place in the winners’ circle. The German, who now has a 24-5 record in Madrid, became the player with the fifth most singles wins in the history of the tournament, only behind the members of the so-called Big 4 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
“This is my favourite court. I’ve only lost two times here in my career”, remembered Zverev. “I hope that continues to be true over the next 10 days and that I can play good tennis. If that happens I’ll be happy”.
Zverev came into the clay swing with the goal of reproducing some of the best results of his career. Last year’s French Open runner-up, who is now on a run of five straight wins on the surface, earned himself a confidence boost last week with his third title in Munich. In Madrid, he is now hoping to get his hands on another hattrick.
As one of the hot favourites for the title, Zverev will be trying to go deep with yet more solid tennis. In round three the German will play the winner of Friday’s clash between home player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and the Portuguese Nuno Borges.
