Prossimo articoloThe incredible journey of Anastasia Potapova

26/04 Madrid Open

Tie-BreakfastApr 26Apr 26, 20266 min

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Today is Sunday, April 26, in Madrid it's 08:30 and it's 13 degrees. Okay, let's go.

On today's menu

🇩🇪 Zverev and 🇳🇴 Ruud advance: two former champions get their title defenses moving
🇬🇷 Tsitsipas surprises Bublik in straight sets, a big win in Madrid
🇪🇸 Davidovich wins the Spanish derby against Carreño
🇧🇾 Sabalenka handles Cristian and flies into the round of 16, now a clash with Osaka
🇵🇱 Swiatek retires in tears against Ann Li, Paolini also out against Baptiste

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

🇩🇪 Zverev And Ruud Advance Without Hiccups

Alexander Zverev beat Mariano Navone 6-1 3-6 6-3 on Manolo Santana, in the classic opener where you drop one set too many while finding your rhythm with the surface. Casper Ruud, on the other hand, dispatched Jaume Munar 6-0 6-1 in just over an hour: one of the cleanest performances by the defending champion since the start of the season.

Two former winners of the tournament resuming their campaigns with two very different matches, but with the same trend: Zverev is still searching for the version of himself who won Madrid twice, while Ruud seems to have grasped right away that defending the title also means not wasting the early rounds. After Saturday, the draw is starting to take a more recognizable shape.

🇬🇷 Tsitsipas Surprises Bublik

Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Alexander Bublik 6-2 7-5, upsetting the No. 8 seed and signing one of his cleanest wins of 2026. On the down-the-line backhand, the Greek rediscovered the diagonal that had eluded him for months, and on the decisive break in the second set he played one of the cleanest points of the day.

A win that on its own doesn't fix a season, but the kind of performance that, after the three tough sets in the first round, suggests something interesting: in Madrid Stefanos has already reached one final and one semifinal in his career, and altitude continues to be one of the few variables in which his tennis can still find some margin.

🇪🇸 Davidovich Wins The Derby Against Carreño

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-3 in the Spanish derby the crowd had been waiting for since the draw. A more even match than the score suggests, decided by two breaks at the end of each set.

For Davidovich it's the sign that his European clay season can still find a rhythm of its own; for Carreno Busta, it leaves the awareness of a comeback unfolding in slower stages than he had hoped. The home crowd applauded both, knowing what this tournament means to each of them.

🇧🇾 Sabalenka Punches Her Ticket To The Round Of 16

Aryna Sabalenka beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-1 6-4 on Manolo Santana, in a match that for over an hour looked like a formality before the Romanian found some courage in the second set. The world No. 1 climbs to 25-1 in 2026 and continues her title defense without dropping a set.

It's not yet the most convincing version of Aryna on this clay, but the way she's managing her time on court says something: she's getting where she wants to go before raising the bar. In the round of 16 she'll now face Naomi Osaka, and that's the kind of match where you usually find out where a title defense really stands.

🇵🇱 Swiatek Surrenders, Paolini Falls

Iga Swiatek retired in tears against Ann Li after losing the first set in a tiebreak, taking the second 6-2, and starting the third down 0-3 to the American. The physical issue seemed to build gradually, until it became impossible for her to continue. For Li, it's the most important win of her career by ranking, even if it came in a way that leaves little full satisfaction.

On the same day, Hailey Baptiste eliminated Jasmine Paolini 7-5 6-3, the American's second top-10 win of 2026. Two exits that weigh on the women's draw and tell the story of a Saturday in which the WTA's big names wavered: for Iga it's yet another crack in a season struggling to find its line, for Jasmine a defeat more about feel than technique, in a spring that just won't click.

WHAT HAPPENS TODAY:

Gauff vs Cirstea (WTA) - Opening Manolo Santana at 11:00. Coco in the third round against the Romanian, in her first real test of the tournament after two matches handled as the favorite.
Musetti vs Griekspoor (ATP) - Following on Manolo, third round against the Dutchman. Lorenzo arrives off a solid showing against Hurkacz and is looking to build continuity on a surface that should suit him.
Sinner vs Moller (ATP) - Not before 16:00 on Manolo Santana. Jannik in the third round against the Dane: after the match with Bonzi, a clash where you'd expect to see him manage the rhythm with more margin.
Sabalenka vs Osaka (WTA) - Night session, not before 20:00. The defending champion against the Japanese, in what on paper is the first real round-of-16 match of the women's draw.
Jodar vs Fonseca (ATP) - Following the night session, the meeting between the two most talked-about young talents of the day, with the Spanish crowd backing the home player.

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Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day.

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