Aryna Sabalenka’s comeback win over Naomi Osaka became the main talking point today as the Mutua Madrid Open moved deeper into its second week, with the women’s draw reaching the quarterfinal stage and the men’s field narrowing toward the last 16.
Sabalenka, the world No. 1 and defending Madrid champion, recovered after dropping the opening set to Osaka, winning 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals. The victory extended her winning streak to 15 matches and set up a meeting with American Hailey Baptiste.
Linda Noskova also pushed herself into the center of the Madrid conversation with a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(5) upset of Coco Gauff. The Czech player, seeded 13th, held her nerve in the final-set tiebreak to knock out last year’s Madrid finalist and reach the quarterfinals.
Gauff’s exit came one day after she fought through illness to beat Sorana Cirstea. The American vomited during that third-round match but still rallied from a set and a break down to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Gauff later said she believed a virus was circulating among players at the tournament.
Karolina Pliskova’s run added another recovery story to the draw. The former world No. 1 defeated Solana Sierra to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal on clay since 2021, continuing an encouraging week after a long stretch disrupted by injuries and surgeries.
Mirra Andreeva also advanced after holding off Anna Bondar in a 2-hour, 53-minute match, keeping the young player’s Madrid campaign alive and adding another deep run to her growing clay-court résumé.
Baptiste, meanwhile, continued her strong season by defeating Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-7(14), 6-3 in a marathon match. The win moved the American into another WTA 1000 quarterfinal and gave her another victory over a top-15 opponent this season.
On the men’s side
Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spanish qualifier Daniel Merida. After the match, Tsitsipas spoke about rediscovering joy on court as he works his way back from injuries and a slide in the rankings. He will face defending champion Casper Ruud next.
Spain also had a local highlight through 19-year-old Rafael Jodar, who defeated Brazil’s Joao Fonseca 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1 in a third-round matchup between two of the youngest players in the ATP top 100. The result sent Jodar into the round of 16 and gave the Madrid crowd another home player to follow in Carlos Alcaraz’s absence.
Jannik Sinner kept his own Madrid run steady with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Elmer Moller, extending his Masters 1000 winning streak to 24 matches. Daniil Medvedev also moved on, beating Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 6-3, 6-2 to join the last 16.
Alcaraz remains one of the biggest absences from the tournament. The Spaniard has withdrawn from Rome and Roland Garros because of a right wrist injury, ending his clay-court season before he could defend his French Open title. Iga Swiatek’s Madrid campaign also ended early when she retired against Ann Li due to illness.
Even amid the serious stakes, Madrid still produced a lighter viral moment. A long moonball-heavy exchange between Ruud and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina drew attention online, giving fans a strange but memorable rally in the middle of a high-pressure Masters 1000 week.
