World number one Jannik Sinner arrives at the Madrid Open with history in sight, chasing a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title as the clay-court swing gathers speed one month before Roland Garros. The Italian has surged through Paris, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, and ATP Tour officials say he has dropped just one set across that four-event run.
Sinner, back at No. 1 after his Monte Carlo title, enters Madrid as the clear focal point of the men’s draw after injuries sidelined both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz withdrew with a wrist injury for the second straight year in Madrid, while Djokovic pulled out because of injury and is now expected back in Rome in May.
That leaves the Caja Mágica without the marquee clash many had hoped to see, but it also opens the door for Sinner to keep building momentum on clay. Seeded into the second round, he will begin against a qualifier and could face Gabriel Diallo in the third round, Tommy Paul in the fourth and Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals. Rising names Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar are also in that section of the draw, adding more intrigue to Sinner’s path.
Potential semifinal opponents include Ben Shelton, Lorenzo Musetti and Arthur Fils, three players who arrive in Madrid with real momentum. Shelton comes in fresh off the Munich title, where he beat Flavio Cobolli for his fifth ATP Tour crown and second on clay.
Fils also arrives with a trophy after beating Andrey Rublev in Barcelona for his first title since returning from injury. Musetti, meanwhile, returns to a tournament where he reached the semifinals last year.
Sinner has never gone beyond the quarterfinals in Madrid, which makes this week another important test of just how complete his transition from hard courts to clay has become. With Alcaraz and Djokovic absent, the pressure shifts even more squarely onto the Italian, who now carries both the No. 1 ranking and the weight of expectations into one of the sport’s biggest spring events.
On the women’s side, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka begins her title defense as the top seed and still the world number one. The Belarusian returns to Madrid after her Sunshine Double surge and will open against either Peyton Stearns or Lois Boisson. Sabalenka is seeking a fourth Madrid title, which would move her past Petra Kvitova for the all-time tournament record.
Sabalenka’s half of the draw includes Iga Swiatek, the No. 4 seed and the player who beat her in the 2024 Madrid final. Swiatek opens against either a qualifier or Daria Kasatkina, and her projected quarterfinal threats include Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva, who defeated her in Stuttgart last week.
In the other half, Elena Rybakina arrives as the No. 2 seed and one of the most dangerous players in the field after beating Karolina Muchova to win Stuttgart on Sunday. Coco Gauff, the No. 3 seed and reigning Roland Garros champion, is also in that half, with both former Madrid finalists on course for a possible semifinal clash. The women’s draw looks deep, but Rybakina’s form and Sabalenka’s pedigree make them the early names to watch.
Madrid now becomes the next major checkpoint on the road to Paris. For Sinner, it is a chance to keep an extraordinary Masters 1000 streak alive. For Sabalenka, it is an opportunity to strengthen her grip on one of her favorite tournaments.
And for the rest of the field, it is a chance to break through before the clay season reaches its peak at Roland Garros.
