Five Early-Round Madrid Blockbusters Fans Are Looking To

At ATP Masters 1000 level, no win is taken for granted. But Friday's release of the Mutua Madrid Open draw has thrown up some potential mouth watering early-round showdowns that have grabbed the attention of tennis fans.

Ahead of the start of play Sunday, ATPTour.com looks at one guaranteed first-round match and four possible second-round blockbusters.

[7] Diego Schwartzman vs. Aslan Karatsev
If Karatsev can first get past Ugo Humbert, he’ll get to face Schwartzman for the second time in three months. The Russian, who is fresh from an upset of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Belgrade, took out Schwartzman in the third round of the Australian Open in straight sets during a memorable breakthrough run to the semi-finals. Both Karatsev and Schwartzman have won a title this year (the Russian in Dubai and the Argentine in Buenos Aires). World No. 9 Schwartzman will have points to defend after having a stellar 2020 clay season when he reached the final in Rome, complete with a quarter-final win over Rafael Nadal, and the semi-finals of Roland Garros. 

[8] Matteo Berrettini vs. Fabio Fognini
Fognini will take on a qualifier in the first round and awaiting him if he prevails will be his compatriot Berrettini. The level of play and intensity will be high with both Italians inside of the Top 20 of the Fedex ATP Race to Turin. They'll be eager to pick up points in Madrid and appear on court at home in Turin when the Italian city hosts the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Berrettini, with a Fedex ATP Ranking of No. 10, just won the ATP 250 in Belgrade (d Karatsev).

[15] Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Casper Ruud
#NextGenATP star Auger-Aliassime is the higher ranked player in this first-round bout but Ruud has been playing the best tennis of his career in recent weeks. The 22-year-old Norwegian just reached the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo with wins over Schwartzman, Pablo Carreno Busta and Fognini. Auger-Aliassime will be looking to have a deep run with new coach Toni Nadal in his corner. In his most recent event in Barcelona, the Canadian picked up wins over Lorenzo Musetti and Denis Shapovalov to reach the quarter-finals.

[2] Daniil Medvedev vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Assuming Davidovich Fokina wins his first round against a qualifier, he’ll be up for a big challenge against Medvedev. Davidovich Fokina is continuing his upward trajectory in the rankings, cracking the Top 50 for the first time this week. He’s into the semi-finals in Estoril and will have four clay tournaments under his belt while Medvedev hasn’t played since Miami. The 25-year-old missed Monte-Carlo after testing positive for COVID-19 and will be eager to get back on court. The next few weeks will prove crucial for the Russian: He has very few points to defend and could turn up the heat on Djokovic for the prized World No. 1 mantle. 

[1] Rafael Nadal vs. Carlos Alcaraz
Alcaraz first has a big task against Adrian Mannarino but if he were to win, awaiting him in the second round is five-time Madrid champion Nadal. It’s huge incentive for the 17-year-old Spaniard as he would be facing the World No. 2 for the first time. Nadal will be well-rested after taking a week off following his 12th Barcelona title triumph.

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Nadal Faces Potential Alcaraz Opener In Madrid

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, the present and future faces of Spanish men's tennis, could meet in the second round at this year’s Mutua Madrid Open.

Five-time champion Nadal will meet the winner of #NextGenATP Alcaraz’s first-round encounter against Adrian Mannarino. No matter how talented 17-year-old Alcaraz may be, a first-round challenge against wily French veteran Mannarino is not to be taken lightly. A Madrid clash against Nadal would be a dream for Alcaraz, but the Murcia native's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, will make sure his charge does not look past his first-round opponent.

View Madrid Draw

Nadal is aiming to capture his first title in the Spanish capital since 2017, when he defeated Dominic Thiem in the final. The Austrian joins Nadal in the top half of this year’s draw.

Nadal enters the tournament fresh from his 12th title run at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The World No. 2 saved a championship point in a dramatic three-hour, 38-minute final last week to end Stefanos Tsitsipas’ 9-0 unbeaten start to the European clay swing. Tsitsipas features in the bottom half of the draw alongside second seed Daniil Medvedev.

Alcaraz is not the only #NextGenATP talent in Nadal’s section of the draw. Miami runner-up Jannik Sinner, the 14th seed, is the first seed the 35-time ATP Masters 1000 champion could meet in Madrid. Acapulco titlist Alexander Zverev and Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz are also in Nadal’s quarter of the draw.

Third seed Thiem will make his first appearance since the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in March. The two-time Madrid runner-up will face a qualifier in the second round and is joined in his section by Grigor Dimitrov, the man who ended his Australian Open campaign.

Thiem is projected to face Monte-Carlo runner-up Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. Rublev may need to get past ninth seed Roberto Bautista Agut to reach that stage. Rublev and Bautista Agut, who could meet in the third round, played one of the standout matches of this year’s European clay swing in Monte-Carlo. Rublev needed two hours and 44 minutes to overcome the Spaniard 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-3 at the same stage in the Principality.

Medvedev will contest his first clay-court match of the season against Estoril semi-finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or a qualifier. The Russian, who owns a 17-3 record this year, will be seeking his first win at the Masters 1000 event after first-round losses in 2018 and 2019. Medvedev shares the bottom quarter with a trio of 2021 clay titlists: Belgrade winner Matteo Berrettini, Marbella champion Pablo Carreno Busta and Santiago titlist Cristian Garin.

Monte-Carlo champion Tsitsipas will attempt to continue his impressive start to the European clay swing in Madrid. The FedEx ATP Race To Turin leader will face Doha champion Nikoloz Basilashvili or Benoit Paire in his first match.

The Greek headlines the third quarter alongside last year’s Rome runner-up Diego Schwartzman, 11th seed Denis Shapovalov and #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. In one of the standout first-round matches, Auger-Aliassime will meet Monte-Carlo semi-finalist Casper Ruud for a spot in the second round.

Schwartzman could meet red-hot Russian Aslan Karatsev, who defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to the Serbia Open final, in his tournament opener. Karatsev will face Estoril quarter-finalist Ugo Humbert in the first round.

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Wimbledon 2021: Ashleigh Barty calls on fellow players to 'do the right thing' at SW19

Women's world number one calls on rivals to act responsibly to ensure tournament is a success.

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Ivashka Stuns Two-Time Champ Zverev In Munich

Ilya Ivashka earned the biggest win of his career on Friday at the BMW Open when he defeated World No. 6 Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.

The Belarusian broke Zverev’s serve to stay in the match at 4-5 in the second set and won nine of the final 12 games of the match to clinch a 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3 victory on Centre Court. Ivashka capitalised on double faults late in the second set from the two-time champion and claimed the crucial break of the decider at 4-3 to earn his maiden Top 10 win.

“This match was really tough for me and I was [close to losing] in the second set,” Ivashka said in his post-match interview. “I managed well and I tried stay in and fight until the last moment to see if he would give [me] chances and it happened.”

Ivashka owns a 6-2 record on clay this season, following runs to the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open quarter-finals in Marbella and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell second round. Last week in Barcelona, the World No. 107 won three matches from qualifying and pushed eventual champion Rafael Nadal to a third set.

“I just came to play match after match,” Ivashka said. “I knew that I had played well [in the] previous weeks… but I was not expecting [this run].”

Ivashka is through to his second ATP Tour semi-final, more than three years after his run to the final four at the 2018 Open 13 Provence in Marseille. The 27-year-old will face Jan-Lennard Struff for a spot in the championship match, with both players attempting to reach their first ATP Tour final. Struff won the pair’s only previous ATP Head2Head meeting last year.

“[Struff] is a great player," Ivashka said. "We played one time in Davis Cup last year and it was a good match. He played unbelievable."

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Take The Madrid Champions Challenge

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have all reached the final in Madrid, but do you recall if they've all won the title?

The Mutua Madrid Open has crowned eight different champions since Andre Agassi won the inaugural edition in 2002, including three players who have claimed the title on two surfaces.

Introduced as an indoor hard-court tournament, the Mutua Madrid Open transitioned in 2009, joining the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome as one of three clay-court ATP Masters 1000 events in the spring. 

Put your memory skills to the test in the Madrid Champions Challenge, share your results and challenge your tennis friends!

The 2021 Mutua Madrid Open gets underway on Sunday, May 2. Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas headline the field at the Masters 1000 tournament. 

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Norrie Upsets Garin To Reach Estoril Semi-finals

To kick off quarter-finals Friday at the Millennium Estoril Open, Cameron Norrie picked up his fifth Top-30 win of the season with an upset of Cristian Garin. In two hours and 28 minutes, the Brit battled past the World No. 22-ranked Chilean 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

With a clutch break of serve at 6-5 in the second set, Norrie took control of the momentum and he had a chance to close it out at 5-2 in the third set. He’d serve it out at love in the next game.

“Garin is always so tough on the clay and I think [it’s] one of my best wins ever on the clay,” Norrie said on-court. “It was a battle. He came out a bit sharper than me. I managed to play a good return game in the second set to break there and held my nerve and played some of my best tennis of the week at the 3-2, 4-2 games."

World No. 50 Norrie has been in excellent form as Friday marked his fourth quarter-final appearance of the year. Garin, a five-time ATP champion on clay, won the crown in Santiago earlier this season. The last time the two had played each other on clay was at Roland Garros in 2013 in the junior draw (Garin won that bout).

Norrie will meet Marin Cilic in the semi-finals Saturday after the Croatian’s highly anticipated clash with Kevin Anderson ended abruptly. Clic had captured the first set 7-6(7) when the South African was forced to retire.

Cilic entered the showdown with a 6-1 lead in their ATP Head2Head Series. Though very familiar with each other, the two former Top 5 stars hadn’t faced off since 2017 and hadn’t played a complete match since Cilic beat Anderson on his way to the 2014 US Open title.

The sixth seed just squeaked out the tie-break, saving a set point before converting on his second opportunity with a big first serve. At the changeover, Anderson, who has been dealing with injuries for more than a year, decided to retire. The two-time Grand Slam finalist is currently ranked No. 105. Heading into this week, he had played just three events this year, going 2-3.

Cilic will play his second semi-final of 2021 as he continues the pursuit for his first title since 2018.

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Nys/Puetz Keep Their Composure In Estoril

Hugo Nys and Tim Puetz needed five match points and a 26-point Match Tie-break on Friday to defeat Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan 3-6, 6-4, 14-12 and reach their first ATP Tour team final at the Millennium Estoril Open.

The Monegasque-German team saved two of the three break points it faced and held its nerve in the Match Tie-break to reach its second final of the season at all levels. Nys and Puetz lifted the Biella 2 trophy on the ATP Challenger Tour in February (d. Glasspool/Heliovaara).

Nys and Puetz own an 8-1 record at all levels in 2021. Earlier this month, the pair also reached the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open semi-finals (l. to Behar/Escobar).

[WATCH LIVE 1]

Gille/Vliegen Save M.P. To Reach Munich Final
Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen saved a match point in another marathon Match Tie-break to reach the BMW Open final in Munich. The third seeds recovered from 9/10 down in their Match Tie-break to defeat German wild cards Dustin Brown and Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-7(2), 13-11.

Gille and Vliegen are attempting to capture their second trophy of the year, following their title run at the Singapore Open in February. The Belgians will meet top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Kevin Krawietz for the title.

Koolhof and Krawietz were handed their place in the final on Thursday, following their 6-4, 6-3 quarter-final win against Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith. Koolhof and Krawietz advanced to the final by walkover, due to the withdrawal of their semi-final opponents Yannick Hanfmann (neck injury) and Dominik Koepfer.

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Struff Survives Krajinovic Thriller In Munich

Jan-Lennard Struff needed three hours and a final-set tie-break to reach his second BMW Open semi-final on Friday.

The seventh seed recovered from a break down on two occasions in the decider and closed the net well in the final-set tie-break to defeat Filip Krajinovic 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3) on Centre Court. Struff is through to his second semi-final in Munich, seven years after reaching the same stage in 2014 (l. to Fognini).

“It was a very, very hard match,” Struff said in his on-court interview. “I expected a very tough match and a hard fight… In the end, I am very happy that I could reach my second semi-final in Munich.”

[WATCH LIVE 1]

With his first ATP Head2Head victory against Krajinovic (tied at 1-1), Struff improved to 11-6 at the ATP 250. Struff is attempting to reach his maiden ATP Tour championship match this week.

The 31-year-old will face top seed Alexander Zverev or Ilya Ivashka for a spot in the championship match. Struff trails Zverev 1-4 in their ATP Head2Head rivalry, which includes back-to-back quarter-final losses at this event in 2017 and 2018. Struff won his only previous ATP Head2Head encounter against Ivashka last year.

“I would love to play [Zverev],” Struff said. “I wish him all the best for the match coming up now against Ivashka, who is a very good player. I would love to play Sascha here for the third time and try to beat him, because I lost twice against him here on Centre Court. I hope that we have a German semi-final.”

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Flashback: When Nalbandian Beat Nadal, Djokovic & Federer Consecutively

David Naldbandian earned a 0.35 winning percentage (11-20) against the ‘Big Three’ of Novak Djokovic (1-4), Roger Federer (8-11) and Rafael Nadal (2-5) in his career. But over the course of three magical days in 2007, the Argentine beat them consecutively.

Entering that year's Mutua Madrid Open — which at the time was held in October — Nalbandian had only made one quarter-final all season, and that came more than five months earlier on Barcelona’s clay. The ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid was played on hard through 2008.

 

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Madrid 2007: @nalbandiand makes history on the ATP Tour 😯 #MMOPEN

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But Nalbandian defeated Arnaud Clement, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin del Potro to gain momentum, and what he did for the rest of the tournament remains in the history books.

Nalbandian became the first player to defeat Nadal, Djokovic and Federer in the same tournament, doing so to win his first Masters 1000 title. First up was Nadal, who he had never previously faced. The Spaniard was World No. 2, and Nalbandian was unseeded, but the Argentine broke five times en route to a 6-1, 6-2 quarter-final win after only 71 minutes.

“Everything went right for me today,” Nalbandian said, according to Reuters. “I took advantage of all Rafa’s errors and he never felt comfortable, but I felt I played really well.”

[TTV CLASSICS]

Djokovic, who had recently cruised past Nalbandian in Montreal, was next. But Nalbandian was in far better form this time around.

“Sometimes you play bad and he was on a roll. He won against Rafa and a lot of good players this week, so obviously he had a lot of confidence on the court and you could see that,” Djokovic said.

Nalbandian earned his only victory of their ATP Head2Head series, saving the two break points he faced in a 6-4, 7-6(4) triumph. The 2005 Tennis Masters Cup champion earned another shot at maiden Masters 1000 glory, after falling short on three previous occasions.

“This is a very important win for me as I haven’t had a good year,” Nalbandian said. “I had some physical problems this year but I’ve been working hard, regained confidence, and today I got the reward on the court.”

[WATCH LIVE 1]

It would not get any easier against Federer, who had won their previous five matches. But Nalbandian had a date with destiny, rallying past the top seed 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 for the trophy.

“I was very focussed, knowing I’d have to play incredibly to win and everything went right for me,” Nalbandian said. “It was a big boost for me to beat so many good players here this week.”

To this day, nobody else has beaten the ‘Big Three’ at the same tournament. Even then, Federer knew it was an impressive accomplishment.

“I guess when you beat Nadal and Djokovic back-to-back you come into the final feeling better than ever,” said Federer. “It was a pity I couldn’t stop him today.”

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Federer To Auction Memorabilia For Charity

For those dreaming of getting their hands on authentic Roger Federer memorabilia straight from his closet will have their chance in the near future. On Thursday, the 39-year-old Swiss announced he is putting a collection of personal items up for auction at Christie’s to raise money for his foundation. 

"Every piece in these auctions represents a moment in my tennis career and enables me to share a part of my personal archive with my fans around the world," Federer said. "More importantly, the proceeds will support The Roger Federer Foundation to help us continue to deliver educational resources to children in Africa and Switzerland."

On 23 June, a live auction will showcase 20 lots (one for each of his Grand Slam titles) with item prices ranging from £3,000-£70,000. A second online auction will be held in July with 300 lower-priced items such as the wristbands from his 1,500th ATP Tour match in Basel.

Items up for auction include:

•The outfit and racquet from his 2007 Wimbledon and 2009 Roland Garros final wins, respectively 
•The cardigan he wore while walking onto Centre Court to play the 2012 Wimbledon final
•The shoes from his 2005 Wimbledon final victory

The collection is estimated to be worth £1 million but the end result could be closer to £1.5 million.

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Klaasen/McLachlan Move Into Estoril Semi-finals

Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan made it through to their second semi-final of the year on Thursday at the Millennium Estoril Open.

The second seeds claimed 75 per cent of their first-serve points and won six of the final seven points of their quarter-final to defeat Nicholas Monroe and Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-6. Klaasen and McLachlan, who also reached the Santiago semi-finals last month, are aiming to capture their second tour-level team trophy this week.

[WATCH LIVE 1]

The 2020 bett1HULKS Championship winners will meet Hugo Nys and Tim Puetz for a place in the final. Nys and Puetz defeated Marcelo Demoliner and Santiago Gonzalez 7-6(3), 6-1 on Wednesday to reach the final four.

Koolhof/Krawietz Advance To Munich Final
Wesley Koolhof and Kevin Krawietz earned their second straight-sets win of the week on Thursday at the BMW Open in Munich.

The Dutch-German tandem needed just 66 minutes to beat Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 6-3 on Centre Court. Following their quarter-final win, Koolhof and Krawietz were handed a place in the championship match after the withdrawal of Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer. Hanfmann was forced to withdraw from both the singles and doubles competitions due to a neck injury.

Koolhof and Krawietz will face third seeds Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen or German wild cards Dustin Brown and Peter Gojowczyk for the trophy. Brown and Gojowczyk earned their place in the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-2 win against second seeds John Peers and Luke Saville.

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Moutet Ousts Top Seed Shapovalov In Estoril

After their rap song "Drip" welcomed them to the court at the Millennium Estoril Open, musical collaborators Corentin Moutet and Denis Shapovalov faced each other off the mic for the first time Thursday. The Frenchman upset the ATP 250 top seed 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in two hours and six minutes to move into the quarter-finals. 

“It was a very close match,” Moutet said on-court. “Today I’m lucky that I won at the end. A few points decided the winner.”

The Canadian and Frenchman released their rap song together last year, following Shapovalov's first single "Night Train".

The victory marks his second Top 20 win of the year (he defeated Grigor Dimitrov in his semi-final run at the Murray River Open). Shapovalov was seeking his first win as a top seed.

After the 22-year-old lefties traded sets, Moutet broke to start the third set. Shapovalov recovered for a 3-1 lead, and then the World No. 14 misfired on a few key moments. Moutet had the win in his sights by reeling off four games in a row.

“It was who will play less worst today,” the World No. 73 said. “I think he didn’t play his best level. I’m really happy to win, of course, because he’s such a great player.”

Earlier on Thursday, Cameron Norrie defeated wild card Pedro Martinez 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-5. The Brit is into his fourth quarter-final of 2021 and takes on second seed Cristian Garin next. The Chilean didn't take the court on Thursday after Richard Gasquet withdrew with a left adductor injury.

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Flashback: Kyrgios' Stunning Upset Against Federer At 2015 Madrid

Editor's note: This story was first published on 7 May 2020

Roger Federer and Nick Kyrgios met for the first time at the 2015 Mutua Madrid Open, and it’s a match nobody will soon forget.

Kyrgios, then only 20, saved two match points en route to a thrilling 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 7-6(12) victory over two hours and 37 minutes. The Aussie relished the opportunity to perform against Federer on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

“I guess that's why you play the game, to play on these big courts against these big players.  He's the greatest of all‑time, no doubt,” Kyrgios said. “When you're growing up and playing and watching these guys, you want to go out there.  That's one thing I think about every time I step out against one of these guys on a court like that.”

Blessed to play one of my childhood heroes in Roger Federer. Blessed to get the win tonight 7-6 6-7 7-6 (14-12).

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) May 6, 2015

Kyrgios had upset Rafael Nadal the previous year at Wimbledon, stunning the Spaniard in four sets. But that was on grass, which caters to the Aussie’s aggressive game.

Kyrgios showed no fear of the Swiss star on Madrid's clay, though, thrusting both arms in the air after Federer pushed an inside-out forehand wide to end the match.

“I definitely knew from the start that I could make an impact in the match,” Kyrgios said. “I thought I served really well. I got a bit of luck and I took the chances [I had].”

Kyrgios hit 22 aces and won 79 per cent of his first-serve points, which was better than Federer’s 78 per cent behind his first delivery. World No. 2 Federer won four more points than the World No. 35, but it was not enough.

“He likes the big stage and he’s got nothing to lose, no fear and he’s got a great game,” Federer said. “He can rely on his serve so much that it keeps him in the match regardless of how he plays from the baseline. It’s one of those matches, but no doubt about it, it was impressive.”

Kyrgios lost his next match against John Isner, but he left Spain with a victory to remember. Federer has won their six ATP Head2Head matches since, but four of those battles have gone to a deciding set, with two going to a final-set tie-break.

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Madrid Memories: Surface Switch Can't Slow Rafa, Model Ball Girls & Blue Clay

Editor's Note: This story was first published on 4 May 2020

First held in 2002 on hard courts, the Mutua Madrid Open switched to clay and a new venue, La Caja Magica, in 2009. ATPTour.com looks back on memorable moments from Madrid.

2002: The First Edition
In the Casa de Campo, just minutes from the city centre, the Madrid Arena hosted the first edition of the Mutua Madrid Open, replacing a Masters 1000 tournament held in Stuttgart. Built for the unsuccessful Madrid 2012 Olympic bid, the indoor hard-court tournament concluded with then 32-year-old Andre Agassi capturing a then-record 15th Masters 1000 title without hitting a ball. His opponent in the final, Jiri Novak, had torn a groin muscle the day before, towards the end of his semi-final victory over Fabrice Santoro, who had beaten Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.

2004: Model Ball Girls
The Masters 1000 tournament replaced traditional ball boys and girls with female models for the third edition. Given two weeks training, the professional models, aged 19 to 28, were selected from Spanish agencies. Marat Safin, who beat David Nalbandian for the 2004 title, said, “The models mean people are still talking about tennis. Good publicity, bad publicity. It doesn’t matter.” Agassi, the inaugural champion, had initially joked, “It was difficult, to say the least, to concentrate on the ball. But I suppose I had an advantage, I’m used to playing with my wife [former WTA World No. 1 Steffi Graf].”

2005: Nadal Edges Ljubicic For First Of Five Crowns
It was one of the best matches in Mutua Madrid Open history: 19-year-old Rafael Nadal, already a winner of 10 tour-level titles in 2005, coming up against Ivan Ljubicic, who was having one of the best seasons of his career. At a time when Masters 1000 finals were contested over the best-of-five sets, Ljubicic quickly took the opening two sets before Nadal showed great grit and determination to fight back for victory over more than four hours of play. “It is one of the best memories I have of this tournament,” said Nadal, looking back on his 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) triumph. “I remember that largely because of the support from the public, I was able to turn the match around and eventually win a final.” Now aged 33, Nadal has won a tournament record five titles (2005, 2010, 2013-14, 2017) from eight finals (2005, 2009-11, 2013-15, 2017).

2009: Under New Ownership, Venue & Date Switch
Ion Tiriac, a former player turned billionaire businessman, became the new owner of the tournament in 2009, coinciding with a switch from hard courts to a clay-court event; to La Caja Magica, a multi-purpose stadium with three courts in the Manzanares Park Tennis Center, and a calendar switch from October to May. Ten years on, Tiriac told his native Romanian press that holding the combined event now benefits the city of Madrid in excess of €107 million.

2012: Blue Clay
Keen for innovation, Tiriac proposed to turn Madrid’s red clay to blue for the 2012 edition, benefitting television viewers around the world. While a single outside blue court had been available for player testing in 2011, with capacity crowds inside the three show courts the following year, the blue clay proved to be too slippery and the consistency of the bounce was uneven. Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic were skeptical, and both lost early, while Federer went on to lift the trophy with a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Tomas Berdych. The Madrid tournament organisers returned to red clay in 2013.

2013: In Memory Of Brad
Two days after the passing of Brad Drewett, the ATP Executive Chairman and President, aged 54, due to Motor Neuron Disease (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), stars of the ATP and WTA Tours took to the stadium court for a minute’s silence. Drewett, the former Australian player, had been involved in the sport for more than 40 years. Djokovic said, “It’s devastating news for not just us tennis players, but the tennis world. He was a very brave man with the courage to stand up and try to change some things in our sport for the better. We remember him as a very calm, composed and intelligent man, who loved this sport with all his heart, while he was playing, coaching and then as the President of ATP.”

2018: Santana Hands Over The Reigns
Manuel Santana, a winner of four Grand Slam singles titles, who helped Madrid become a world-class event as Tournament Director, had an assistant in the shape of Feliciano Lopez in 2018. Lopez, who had played in all 16 editions of the tournament, learned the ropes of event management before taking over in 2019. At the time, Lopez was the second active player to be named Tournament Director after Tommy Haas, the former No. 2, was named to the same position for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in June 2016. Santana, now the Madrid tournament’s Honorary President. said: “The Mutua Madrid Open is and always will be my home. It took us a lot of hard work to make this tournament happen and I will always be working to help it grow.”

2019: Djokovic Wins Third Madrid Title
Djokovic arrived at the Mutua Madrid Open two years ago looking to rekindle the kind of form that took him to the 2019 Australian Open title. With one quarter-final appearance in his past three tournaments, the World No. 1 beat two-time finalist Dominic Thiem 7-6(2), 7-6(4) in the semi-finals before overcoming Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 for a then record-tying 33rd Masters 1000 title (with Nadal). "These are the best tournaments, biggest tournaments we have in our sport, in the ATP, of course alongside the Grand Slams," said Djokovic, who also won the Madrid title in 2011 and 2016. "This is as important and as good as it gets."

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Struff Reaches Fourth Munich Quarter-Final

Jan-Lennard Struff added a fourth quarter-final to his BMW Open resume in Munich on Thursday with a 7-6(3), 6-7(0), 6-2 victory against countryman Dominik Koepfer.

The 31-year-old recovered from 2-4 down in the first set and won the final four games of the match to reach the last eight in Munich after two hours and 39 minutes. Struff struck 11 aces throughout his first ATP Head2Head encounter against Koepfer and saved four of the five break points he faced to improve to 10-6 at the ATP 250.

“I am very, very happy that I turned around the first set,” Struff said in his on-court interview. “I played a not good second-set tie-break. Before [that] the set was okay, but I couldn’t lock into his service games that much… I am very happy that I broke him I the third set and I am very happy to be through. Dominik is a good guy and a very good player.”

[WATCH LIVE 1]

Struff will attempt to reach his second Munich semi-final (2014) when he faces fourth seed Filip Krajinovic on Friday. The World No. 44 lost his only previous match against the Serbian in three sets at the 2014 Hamburg European Open.

“I am really looking forward to my match tomorrow against Filip Krajinovic… I think it is going to be a very tough match. I played him in Hamburg [seven] years ago and lost in three sets. I hope I can beat him tomorrow.”

Lucky loser Norbert Gombos reached his second quarter-final of the European clay swing with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Federico Coria. The Marbella quarter-finalist will face fifth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili or the man he lost to in qualifying, Daniel Elahi Galan, for a semi-final spot.

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Novak Djokovic withdraws from Madrid Open

The 33-year-old will relinquish the title he won in 2019

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Nadal Takes Momentum Into Madrid; All You Need to Know

The 2021 Mutua Madrid Open returns to the calendar this year after a COVID-19-related hiatus in 2020. The ATP Masters 1000 field features eight of the Top 10 stars in the FedEx ATP Rankings, including Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Nadal enters with a record five Madrid titles and a recent 12th crown in Barcelona, while Tsitsipas carries momentum after capturing his first ATP Masters 1000 championship in Monte-Carlo and a run to the final in Barcelona. Medvedev will be making his clay-court season debut. The Russian has not played since losing in the Miami quarter-finals to Roberto Bautista Agut.

Note: The 2021 Mutua Madrid Open will be held in front of a reduced-capacity crowd due to COVID-19 precautions.

Established: 2002

Tournament Dates: 1-9 May 2021

Tournament Director: Feliciano Lopez

Draw Ceremony: Friday 30 April, 6:30pm

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule
* Qualifying: 1-2 May, 11:00am
* Main draw: Sunday 2 May - Sunday 9 May 
* Start times: Sunday - Sunday 11:00am and 7:00pm
* Doubles final: Sunday 9 May, 3:30pm
* Singles final: Sunday 9 May, 6:30pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

Venue: Caja Magica
Surface: Clay 

Prize Money: €2,614,465 (Total Financial Commitment: €3,226,325)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll
Most Titles, Singles: Rafael Nadal (5)
Oldest Champion: Manuel Santana, 32, in 1970
Youngest Champion: Mats Wilander, 18, in 1982
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Ilie Nastase in 1973; No. 1 Rafael Nadal in 2009, 2011, 2018
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 65 Todd Martin in 1998
Most Match Wins: Rafael Nadal (61)

2019 Finals
Singles: [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) d [8] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 6-3,6-4   Read & Watch
Doubles: Jean-Julien Rojer (FRA) / Horia Tecau (ROU) d Diego Schwartzman (ARG) / Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-3  Read More 

Social
Hashtag: #mmopen
Facebook: @mutuamadridopen 
Twitter: @mutuamadridopen
Instagram: @mutuamadridopen

Did You Know?
Pista Central and Estadio 2 are named after Spanish four-time Grand Slam champions, Manolo Santana and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, respectively.

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The Nomadic Life With... Dominik Koepfer

Dominik Koepfer has taken an unusual route to life as a professional tennis player. The lefty only earned one Division I scholarship offer in the United States and he took it, attending Tulane University. Now, Koepfer is on the verge of cracking the Top 50 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time.

The World No. 54 will play countryman Jan-Lennard Struff, the seventh seed, on Thursday for a spot in the quarter-finals of the BMW Open. ATPTour.com caught up with Koepfer, who turns 27 on Thursday, to learn about what life is like for him travelling on the ATP Tour...

What are two essential non-tennis items you always pack for trips?
I always have my laptop with me. [My] laptop is definitely number one, especially now during Covid times when we can't do anything and are stuck in a hotel all day. Number two is probably a book, even though I hate reading a book, but my coach makes me. I'm reading the biography of [NBA legend] Dirk Nowitzki. I met him in Dallas last year. 

 

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What item did you forget to bring one time that caused you distress?
Definitely string, hard-court shoes when I was preparing for clay-court tournaments. All tennis-related stuff.

Do you enjoy travelling the world or consider it just something that needs to be done to be a pro tennis player? If you do enjoy it, what do you enjoy about travelling?
Obviously before Covid it was much more fun going to places I'd never been to, getting around the world, doing things most other people in normal jobs don't have the chance to do and I have the chance to do for a living.

I love travelling, but it also gets [to be] a lot. If you travel 30 weeks a year but you're in a hotel for 30 weeks, a hotel room is a hotel room. It doesn't really change wherever you are... Once Covid calms down a little bit, I'm excited to see places again.  

Can you talk about a time you decided to play a specific tournament in part because you wanted to travel to that city?
If you have a choice between two tournaments, I definitely pick the cooler city, or a place I'm more excited to go to. If it comes down to it, I'd definitely pick the city I want to go to rather than the tournament. 

What is your favourite tournament city to visit and why?
Melbourne is a fun place, I really like Melbourne, Australia. Other than that, whenever there are tournaments in Germany, it's home, that's where I grew up. If it's a choice between a grass tournament in England or a grass tournament in Germany, I'd definitely choose the one in Germany.

What is your craziest travel story?
It was a Challenger I played in Italy and then had to go to the Czech Republic two years ago. To get from the Czech Republic to home where I live, it was a 13-hour train ride and I had to change trains four times. After I lost, I went at 7 p.m. because I wanted to go home really badly.

I took the train during the night. It was brutal. I was by myself on the train, in the middle of nowhere in the Czech Republic, with all my tennis bags. It was a little sketchy. It was probably the most exhausting trip I've taken.

 

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As a tennis player, maintaining your body is of the utmost importance, so how do you take care of it during long trips?
If it's a really long flight, I try to get upgraded so I can actually get some sleep and not [go without] sleep for like 48 hours straight. As long as you get enough sleep, I don't think the travel is that bad.

Obviously your body feels pretty badly the days after, but sleep is definitely the biggest thing for me. Getting enough rest and continuing to eat healthy [is important]. I've gotten sick a few times from travelling long distances, and the body takes a beating every time you change timezones. You've got to readjust and it's hard on the body, definitely.

Are there any routines or activities you do to create a sense of ‘home on the road’ to feel more comfortable?
I try to watch a lot of German Bundesliga, the soccer league, on the weekends. That's for sure one thing I always look forward to when I'm on the road, because it gives me something to do and I've always been interested in watching and folowing along. [I also like] just following sports in general.

Now that I live in Tampa, I follow the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whenever the timezone makes it work, I try to watch the games. There's only so much you can do. I try to FaceTime with friends and family, but being away in a different timezone definitely makes it harder to stay connected with home. 

How do you try to overcome jetlag and acclimate to the local timezone?
You just try to get some naps in if you're too tired. After a few days or a week, it's over. The first days I don't think there's really a secret. Just do your best to get enough sleep and it will eventually go back to normal. 

Are you someone who gets to the airport with lots of time to spare or do you cut it fine?
I'm usually pretty early. I don't think I've missed the first flight yet. I've obviously missed connections, but I've been pretty good with being ready early enough to get to the airport on time. 

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Krawietz/Koolhof Make Winning Start In Munich

Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Kevin Krawietz kicked off their BMW Open campaign on Wednesday with a victory against Marcelo Melo and Mischa Zverev, 6-3, 6-3. 

Munich marks the first tournament together for the Dutch-German team. Koolhof reached three quarter-finals this year with Lukasz Kubot, while Krawietz partnered with Horia Tecau to reach a final in Rotterdam and posted a semi-final run in Dubai with Jan-Lennard Struff.

Koolhof and Krawietz won 100 per cent (18/18) of points behind their first serves and didn’t face a break point en route to victory in an hour and three minutes. The top seeds will next face Matthew Ebden and John-Patrick Smith in the quarter-finals. The Aussie duo needed two tie-breaks to defeat Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic 7-6(3), 7-6(5).

[WATCH LIVE 1]

Also in action, German duo Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer upset fourth seeds Marcus Daniell and Philipp Oswald 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals. Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen received after a walkover from Federico Coria and Guido Pella to join them in the last four. 

Second Seeds Reach Estoril Quarter-finals
Second seeds Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan are into their third quarter-final of the year after taking down Simone Bolelli and Maximo Gonzalez at the Millennium Estoril Open.

Klaasen and McLachlan saved all four break points they faced as they closed out the 6-2, 6-3 victory in 62 minutes. The victory also avenges the South African-Japanese duo’s defeat in the Santiago semi-finals, where Bolelli and Gonzalez won 6-4, 6-4 en route to the title.

The second seeds will face the all-American team of Nicholas Monroe and Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere in Estoril, Luke Bambridge and Dominic Inglot are into the semi-finals after upsetting third seeds Austin Krajicek and Oliver Marach 7-6(2), 6-4. They are joined by Hugo Nys and Tim Puetz, who took down Marcelo Demoliner and Santiago Gonzalez 7-6(3), 6-1 to advance.

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Humbert Moves On, Davidovich Fokina Repeats In Estoril

Third seed Ugo Humbert was tested in his Millenium Estoril Open debut on Thursday, but he overcame Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to book his spot in the quarter-finals.

The Frenchman is into his third tour-level quarter-final of the year, and his first away from French soil after reaching the semi-finals in Marseille (l. Herbert) and Montpellier (l. Bautista Agut). He will next face eighth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the first time.

“The conditions are really nice here, but it was a bit windy today so it was tough to play against [Cecchinato] for my first match. But it’s a nice victory,” Humbert said. “I think I [have been] improving my game a lot since last year. I had some good victories over Fognini and Medvedev in Hamburg, and I’m trying to enjoy a lot. I’m very happy.”

[WATCH LIVE 1]

Humbert converted three of his nine break opportunities, and held firm in the third set to stave off a comeback from Cecchinato. With Humbert barrelling toward the finish line after taking a 3-0 lead, the Italian reeled off three straight games of his own to level the score. But Humbert found a way to close out the match after an hour and 51 minutes, and improved to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head against Cecchinato.

Also in action, eighth seed Davidovich Fokina raced into the quarter-finals after taking down Jeremy Chardy in 56 minutes, 6-1, 6-2.

Originally scheduled for Estadio Millennium, the pair’s match was moved to Court Cascais after heavy rainfall interrupted play earlier in the day. Davidovich Fokina was quick to adapt to the change in court – and heavier, windy conditions – and took a 3-0 lead in both sets against Chardy.

Davidovich Fokina saved five of the six break points faced to keep the pressure on Chardy. He also honed in on the Frenchman’s second serve, allowing Chardy to win only 25 per cent of points (4/16) behind his second delivery.

Davidovich Fokina’s victory is a repeat of his 2019 second-round clash against Chardy in Estoril with an identical scoreline. Back then, the Spaniard owned no tour-level wins going into his second ATP main draw as a qualifier, but still found a way to stun Chardy 6-1, 6-2 en route to the semi-finals. Now, the 21-year-old sits at a career-high No. 48 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. 

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Rublev, Federer Visit Famous Sports Venues

People from all around the world watch the ATP Tour’s biggest stars. But this week, Andrey Rublev and Roger Federer were the fans, visiting notable sports venues. 

Rublev, who lost in the quarter-finals of last week’s Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, has remained in Spain. And on Tuesday, the Russian got an inside look at Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona.

𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇 𝙑𝙄𝙎𝙄𝙏❗ 🎾 @AndreyRublev97 was at Camp Nou today! Great to meet you! 👋 pic.twitter.com/lbP7QVyfaM

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 27, 2021

“It’s a huge stadium,” Rublev said. “I was watching [matches here] a couple of times live and it’s amazing when it’s a full crowd. It looks like the stadium is never ending.”

The 23-year-old admitted he doesn’t watch every match, but he still enjoys supporting the club.

“When it’s something big, I follow. Like a final of Copa del Rey, for example,” Rublev said. “I wish them all the best. I hope they’re going to win La Liga.”

Federer visited a different kind of arena. The 103-time tour-level champion toured the home of Swiss ice hockey team SC Bern.

Schön zrugg in Bern z’si
Nice to be back in Bern🏒 🥅 🐻 pic.twitter.com/HsEOxxsAXe

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) April 27, 2021

NHL stars who have played for the club include John Tavares, Roman Josi and Daniel Briere among others. Federer posted an Instagram story sitting in front of the locker of Thomas Rufenacht.

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Zverev, Ruud Move Into Munich Quarter-finals

Alexander Zverev started his campaign for a third BMW Open title on Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Lithuanian lucky loser Ricardas Berankis in 87 minutes.

“I haven’t played much tennis the past few weeks, so I know I’ll need to improve for the next match,” said Zverev, who also confirmed that he has overcome his recent right elbow injury. “I’ve had success in the past and I feel good here. I’ve played well in the practice and hopefully I can do better on the match court.”

[WATCH LIVE 1]

The 24-year-old German, who is now 13-2 in his past four Munich appearances, will next play a qualifier - Belarusian Ilya Ivashka or American Mackenzie McDonald - in the quarter-finals.

Zverev, the 2017 and 2018 champion, continually threatened to break Berankis’ serve, doing so three times in the first set by targetting the backhand of the World No. 89. Zverev hit a forehand winner for a 2-1 lead in the second set, but Berankis began to step into the court and broke back in a run of three straight games. Ultimately, Zverev’s groundstroke consistency, including a powerful backhand winner to break for 5-4, proved to be the difference.

Earlier in the day, second seed Casper Ruud powered his way into the quarter-finals by beating Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-3, 6-2 in 68 minutes. Ruud, who reached his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final two weeks ago at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. to Rublev), won the first three games of the match and swept through the last five games for his 11th match win of the season (11-4).

Ruud won 16 of 18 second-service points and now plays Australia’s John Millman in the quarter-finals. Eighth seed Millman was trailing 4-6, 2-0 when Argentine Guido Pella retired after 75 minutes of play.

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Anderson Fires Into Estoril Quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson struck 12 aces to beat Spanish lucky loser Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 7-6(4) on Wednesday for a place in the Millennium Estoril Open quarter-finals. The South African failed to convert four match points at 5-4 and needed to recover from 2/4 down in the second-set tie-break en route to victory in one hour and 49 minutes.

"I was 2/4 down in the tie-break, but I managed to raise my level and I fought really well in order to get the match finished in straight sets," said Anderson. "It was important to forget the 5-4 game, as I think I played some very good tennis out there."

The former World No. 5, who last reached the quarter-finals of an ATP Tour event in October 2020 at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna (l. to Rublev), will next play sixth-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic or Portuguese qualifier Nuno Borges.

[WATCH LIVE 1]

Later today, third-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert challenges Marco Cecchinato of Italy and another Frenchman, Jeremy Chardy, meets eighth-seeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

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Djokovic Withdraws From Madrid

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Mutua Madrid Open, the ATP Masters 1000 tournament announced on Wednesday.

"Sorry that I won’t be able to travel to Madrid this year and meet all my fans,” Djokovic said. “It’s been two years already, quite a long time. Hope to see you all next year!”

Djokovic is a three-time Madrid champion, including a victory in the tournament's most recent edition in 2019. The Serbian last competed one week ago in Belgrade, where he advanced to the semi-finals before losing against breakthrough Russian Aslan Karatsev in a three-hour, 26-minute battle.

Novak Djokovic will not be playing in the Mutua Madrid Open.

"Sorry that I won’t be able to travel to Madrid this year and meet all my fans”, said @DjokerNole. “It’s been two years already, quite a long time. Hope to see you all next year!”.

— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 28, 2021

The 33-year-old owns a 12-2 record on the season, including a run to his ninth Australian Open title in Melbourne.

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Novak Djokovic passionately defended by Greg Rusedski for pre-French Open decision

Greg Rusedski has jumped to the defence of Novak Djokovic.

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Roger Federer ranked 'No 1 inspiration' ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Tom Brady

Motorsport legend Valentino Rossi is backing Roger Federer to win a ninth Wimbledon title - citing the 20-time Grand Slam winner as sport's finest example of longevity at the top

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Roger Federer warned by Boris Becker to avoid mistake which could ruin Wimbledon bid

Roger Federer will target his ninth Wimbledon title two years after losing to Novak Djokovic in the Grand Slam's longest ever final

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17-Year-Old Alcaraz Reminds Cilic Of This Player…

Marin Cilic has faced plenty of rising stars during his career, and on Tuesday he battled another one in 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. Although the former World No. 3 was able to secure a three-set victory in their first-round clash at the Millennium Estoril Open, the Croatian was impressed.

“He was fighting really hard. But I think that’s also a Spanish school of tennis. They are extremely disciplined, they play very hard, they are pushing themselves physically and you can see that he is also a hard worker,” Cilic said. “[Those] are great things for the sport and those things are going to help him to improve.”

The 32-year-old believes that Alcaraz plays similarly to one of his mentors: World No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta, who trains at former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy. Fittingly, Ferrero is Alcaraz’s coach.

“I would say [Carlos’ game is] not too far from Pablo Carreno Busta’s just with the style, but I would say Carlos has just a bit [of a] better forehand and I would say Pablo has a better backhand,” Cilic said. “Being 17 and already with that kind of a game that he’s got, he’s going to be only improving with matches at this level. He will definitely have with more and more matches a better and better game and he’s going to be lifting up [his level].

“I think Juan Carlos is a great coach for him in that sense because I think Juan Carlos also played a similar game to his: great forehand, moving really well, very solid backhand, returning good. Definitely he can improve in some shots and parts of his game, but already he is looking like a pro player and playing really well at this level.”

Alcaraz is not the first #NextGenATP player Cilic has faced this year. The 18-time tour-level champion beat 19-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti in Miami.

“Lorenzo likes to play a little bit further away from the baseline, likes to open up the court, uses angles, has got really good touch. He’s got also a one-hander, plays the slice and I think clay is his favourite surface,” Cilic said. “I feel he’s just maybe half a step in front of Carlos. Carlos is just getting on the Tour [and he has] a bit [of a] different game.

“Carlos is playing more aggressive and also trying to attack, putting pressure on the opponent and I think both of those games that they have can improve a lot.”

Cilic will continue to pursue his first ATP Tour trophy since triumphing at The Queen’s Club in 2018 when he faces Portuguese qualifier Nuno Borges for a spot in the Estoril quarter-finals.

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Why Davidovich Fokina Added A Marathon Legend To His Team

Tennis matches are often described as being a ‘marathon’ when they run on significantly longer than normal. It is also commonly said that players should ‘pace themselves’ through a season, rather than ‘sprint’ for a single result.

Tennis expressions frequently borrow wisdom from the world of athletics. But Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has taken it one step further by adding a Spanish marathon legend, Martin Fiz, to his coaching team.

Fiz was the European Champion at Helsinki 1994, World Champion at Gothenburg in 1995 and he finished fourth at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta – all in marathon running. These are just the greatest achievements in the storied career of the Spanish athlete, who joined Davidovich Fokina's team last December.

The athlete did not hesitate to accept the proposal from Jorge Aguirre, Davidovich Fokina’s coach, which was initially sent to him via Instagram. Fiz, who was on holiday in Marbella, immediately booked a date to take a closer look at the project that captivated him from the outset.

 

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“After seeing the message, we met up and I accepted immediately,” Fiz explained to ATPTour.com. “I thought it was a good offer based on everything Jorge had told me about Alex. There were similarities between their needs and the effort it takes to run a marathon; the strategy, the hard work and never throwing in the towel. A match or a long-distance race can be turned around at any moment.”

Contrary to what might seem obvious, the goal of his addition into the team was not to work on the World No. 48’s stamina. His fitness coach continues to be Cesar Diaz.

“I’m in no doubt that he is very talented physically. In fact, when we did a series of 200-metre races, he beat me,” Fiz said. “Every training session we do together for him is a competition. He’s a winner. He even likes winning in cards, but you have to win matches from start to finish.” 

It is in this area that Fiz has taken the reins. He is known as an authority on sport, a champion with a culture of sacrifice as his hallmark. His main goal is to fine-tune Davidovich Fokina’s mental game.

“I’m the link between his psychologist and his fitness coach. But fundamentally, I focus on the psychological side because I come from a tough sport where you have to work hard, where there are ups and downs, and that’s what I try to transmit to Alex,” Fiz explained.

Davidovich Fokina’s coach understood that a voice with experience in an event as demanding as the marathon would add quality to the team. Above all, Aguirre aims to fight against a negative quality that all too often plagues the hopes of youngsters: immediacy.

“The tendency is currently for young people to be very focussed on the short term,” Aguirre said. “They look for immediate results. As soon as they work extra hard or make a sacrifice, they want to see the results straight away. But tennis is actually a long-distance race, long term, and you have to take it week by week. So I thought that the mentality of a number one marathon runner might help us.” 

Over telephone calls, video calls and WhatsApp messages, Davidovich Fokina and his team maintain constant contact with Fiz while on the ATP Tour.

“Alex is a 21-year-old player who is like a wild horse, pure energy and sometimes he wants things to happen too quickly,” Aguirre said. “He needed help understanding that there is a process. Martin brings us his experiences from outside of tennis, which can be really useful to us if we use them correctly.”

But what is the key message that Fiz wants to transmit to Davidovich Fokina?

“The only thing I repeat to him is to believe in himself in difficult moments, to continue even if he loses a set,” Fiz responded. “You have to keep going. I want him to be mentally tough, to have a strong mind. When I weigh it up, I always put much more emphasis on the mental side than the physical.”

Few can understand the culture of sacrifice like a marathon runner and this is the picture Fiz tries to paint in every conversation with Davidovich Fokina: “When he sits in his chair in a match, I want him to see the image of Fiz working like a dog in 40 degrees in a marathon and having to carry on. That’s what I want to transmit and what he is currently fighting for.” 

This and the work that he has already been doing with the whole team has started to bear its fruit in early 2021. The Andalusian has climbed to a career high No. 48 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and boasts a positive win-loss record (10-7).

“He’s improved the quality of his footwork, his strike is more stable on the forehand and he’s serving better,” Aguirre said. “A series of circumstances have presented themselves and he’s ambitious, he’s hungry to make his mark on tour. I think he is confident enough to make a name for himself little by little.”

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Shapovalov: ‘I Feel Like I’m Able To Beat Any Of The players’

Denis Shapovalov will play his opening round of the Millennium Estoril Open on Thursday against Frenchman Corentin Moutet. The Canadian is looking to string together a few victories after not winning consecutive matches since reaching the semi-finals of Dubai.

“It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side, I’m going to play my game and when it clicks, then it clicks,” Shapovalov said. “I don’t know if it’s ever a specific moment or not, but it just happens.”

After taking a wild card to enter the field, Shapovalov has his work cut out for him but he’s focussed on the task at hand.

“You get a win here or there and then you start feeling super confident,” he said. “That’s where I think I can be dangerous; when I start getting those couple wins under my belt, start feeling my game, then I feel like I’m able to beat any of the players.”

The 22-year-old is the top seed at an ATP Tour event for just the second time, having lost his opener as the top seed in Sofia last year. He’ll be making his Estoril debut and taking on Moutet for the first time.

“No expectations, I just try and take it one match at a time and really just focus on myself,” Shapovalov said. “I do think I could go deep in these tournaments. I love to play no matter where I am, no matter against whom, I just love to play, I love to dominate and play aggressively.”

Shapovalov has won one ATP Tour title, on indoor hard courts in Stockholm in 2019. Last year, he enjoyed a breakthrough when he reached the quarter-finals of the US Open followed by his first week inside of the Top 10. Though clay is not his favourite surface, Shapovalov has also proven capable on it. 

“If I’m being completely honest, I prefer other surfaces,” Shapovalov said. “I do love the feeling of playing on clay, the sliding. It is more gruelling, it’s longer points. I think my favourite is grass. There is just practically no rallies, so it’s awesome. It is just serves and returns, it’s perfect.”

Against Moutet, Shapovalov can expect long rallies and a lot of changes in pace with the Frenchman favouring the drop shot.

“You try to build the points a little bit more, you try to be a bit more patient, construct a bit more on the clay because obviously a lot of guys are far back and it’s much slower so it’s tough to just hit and come in,” Shapovalov said. “You have to really pick the right ball. But nonetheless, on hard courts or on clay courts or whatever surface I’m playing on I’m trying to be aggressive and come in, so it doesn’t really change at the end of the day.”

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Garin & Vega Hernandez Upset Top Seeds In Estoril

Cristian Garin is the second seed in the singles draw at the Millennium Estoril Open. But on Tuesday, the Chilean made some noise in the doubles draw. Garin partnered David Vega Hernandez past top seeds Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-2, 6-7(5), 10-5 to reach the quarter-finals.

Garin and Vega Hernandez will next play Andres Molteni and Frederik Nielsen or Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar. Another singles star impressed on the doubles court in Portugal, as Frances Tiafoe teamed with Nicholas Monroe to eliminate wild cards Frederico Ferreira Silva and Pedro Sousa 6-4, 6-2. 

Hugo Nys and Tim Puetz defeated former doubles World No. 1 Jamie Murray and his partner, Lloyd Glasspool, 6-3, 6-3, while Marcelo Demoliner and Santiago Gonzalez edged fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Matwe Middelkoop 6-2, 3-6, 10-5.

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Second Seeds Peers/Saville Advance In Munich
Australians John Peers and Luke Saville reached the quarter-finals of the BMW Open on Tuesday by defeating Finland's Harri Heliovaara and Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-4. The second seeds will next face home favourites Dustin Brown and Peter Gojowczyk for a spot in the last four.

Third seeds Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen also advanced. The Belgians beat Jonathan Erlich and Divij Sharan 6-3, 6-2. In other action, Argentines Federico Coria and Guido Pella battled past Andrey Golubev and Andrea Vavassori 6-4, 3-6, 10-8.

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Cilic Claws Past 17-Year-Old Alcaraz In Estoril

Marin Cilic got all he could handle from 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday, but the former World No. 3 clawed past the #NextGenATP Spaniard 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 to reach the second round of the Millennium Estoril Open.

"I'm extremely happy to be here in Portugal, in Estoril for the first time," Cilic said in his on-court interview. "It was a very difficult match. Carlos is a great young talent... Definitely he's got an unbelievable future ahead of him and you could see in the end one or two points just decided the match."

Alcaraz showed his fighting spirit by rallying from a break down twice in the third set, pushing the 2014 US Open champion to the limit. But the teen was unable to edge ahead of the Croatian, who broke for a third time in the decider to clinch his two-hour, 14-minute victory when Alcaraz missed a backhand long.

Cilic will now play former Mississippi State University standout Nuno Borges for a spot in the quarter-finals. Borges earned his first ATP Tour win on Monday against Jordan Thompson.

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In other action, Richard Gasquet battled hard to complete a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Juan Ignacio Londero of Argentina in one hour and 49 minutes. The 2015 champion has played just four tournaments this year due to a leg injury. Gasquet will next play second-seeded Chilean Cristian Garin. 

Another former Estoril champion, home hero Joao Sousa, was unable to advance. Cameron Norrie ousted the 2018 titlist 6-1, 6-3 to set a clash against Spanish qualifier Pedro Martinez, who eased past fifth seed Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-0.

Italy’s Marco Cecchinato, the 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist, required 77 minutes to overcome Lloyd Harris of South Africa 6-3, 6-4 and now faces third-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert. In an all-French battle, Pierre-Hugues Herbert eliminated former Top 10 star Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-3.

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