World No. 1 Jannik Sinner arrived at the Caja Mágica this week with a frank admission about his relationship with the Spanish capital. “I’ve never played very well in Madrid,” the Italian acknowledged Tuesday, while also lamenting the absence of his chief rival Carlos Alcaraz, who will miss the clay-court Masters 1000 event because of a wrist injury.
The 24-year-old goes into the tournament as top seed and overwhelming favourite, fresh off the Monte Carlo title earlier this month — his first Masters 1000 crown on clay — where he defeated Alcaraz in the final and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking in the process.
A tricky venue
Sinner’s candour reflected a genuine weak spot in an otherwise dominant résumé. The Italian has never advanced beyond the quarterfinals at the Mutua Madrid Open, a record that sits awkwardly alongside his near-flawless form elsewhere on tour.
“I’m trying to improve as a player, and maybe this is one of the toughest challenges because of certain factors, like the altitude or the wind,” he explained during his pre-tournament media session.
The altitude in particular has long unsettled visiting players. At roughly 650 metres above sea level, the Caja Mágica produces a faster, higher-bouncing ball than any other clay event on the calendar — conditions that reward the sort of heavy topspin game Alcaraz has used to lift the trophy twice, but which have repeatedly troubled Sinner’s flatter, through-the-court style.
Eyes on Paris
Sinner was clear that Madrid, for all its prestige, sits within a broader plan. His goal across the European clay swing is to keep building momentum on the surface and arrive in peak condition for Roland Garros, scheduled for May 24 to June 7 — the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection. “I know in my mind that the most important thing is Roland Garros. We’re trying to be in the best possible shape there,” the Italian said.
Alcaraz absent
Sinner also expressed regret at the absence of his great rival. The Spaniard, sidelined with a wrist injury sustained at last week’s Barcelona Open, said Monday night at the Laureus World Sports Awards that his participation at Roland Garros remained uncertain because he did not want to force a return or risk aggravating the problem.
“Since last year we’ve shared a lot of tournaments. I also know that if I want to play Carlos, it would be in the final, and the road to a final is very long,” Sinner said — a nod to last year’s dramatic championship match in Paris, which he lost to the Spaniard despite holding three championship points.
With Alcaraz out and Novak Djokovic also skipping the tournament, Sinner’s path through the draw looks, on paper, more straightforward than at any Masters 1000 in recent memory. Whether he can finally convert that opportunity in a city that has long resisted him will be one of the defining questions of the week ahead.
