Front-Runners of the Week
Live
Madrid Open ATP 1000
Jannik Sinner
R3: def. Moller 6:2, 6:3 to reach the last 16
🇮🇹 World No. 1 · Masters 1000 win streak now at 24 matches (fourth-longest in history)
26–2 on the 2026 season · Has never been past the Madrid quarterfinals — determined to change that this year
26–2 on the 2026 season · Has never been past the Madrid quarterfinals — determined to change that this year
Live
Madrid Open WTA 1000
Aryna Sabalenka
def. Cristian 7:5, 6:3 to reach the last 16
🇧🇾 World No. 1 · 25–1 on the 2026 season
With Swiatek out through illness, the draw has opened up — and Sabalenka is in full flight
With Swiatek out through illness, the draw has opened up — and Sabalenka is in full flight
Feature Story
⚠️ Top Story · World No. 4 Forced Out in Tears
Struck Down by a Stomach Virus, Swiatek Retires in the Madrid Third Round
On April 25, world No. 4 Iga Swiatek faced 31st seed Ann Li in the third round of the Madrid Open, but a gastrointestinal virus struck mid-match. She was forced to retire at 6:7(4), 6:2, 0:3, missing out on the last 16.
Swiatek had already been battling the virus for two days before the match. Trailing 0:2 in the deciding set, she stopped play to seek medical attention, but there was no way back. "I had completely lost my energy and my balance — I even started feeling dizzy. I really felt awful," she admitted through tears.
"I had no energy and no stability. In the third set I started feeling dizzy and lost all coordination. The two days before the match were really rough."
— Iga Swiatek, post-retirement press conference in Madrid
The result carried real weight for Ann Li — only the second top-10 win of her career, and the highest-ranked victory she has ever recorded.
With this early exit, Swiatek faces serious pressure defending her Roland Garros points; her battle with Coco Gauff for the No. 3 ranking — a margin of just 15 points — may now play out anew in Rome.
6-7
First set lost in a tiebreak
6-2
Second set fought back
0-3 ret.
Retired ill in the decider
This Week's Headlines
Sinner Runs Masters Streak to 24 in Madrid, Eyeing the All-Time Greats
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner cleared two hurdles in Madrid this week, beating qualifier Bonzi 6:7(6), 6:1, 6:4 and then Moller 6:2, 6:3 to reach the last 16. His winning streak at ATP Masters 1000 events now stands at 24 matches — the fourth-longest in the series' history.
Sinner next faces 19th seed Cameron Norrie. Should he lift the trophy, he would become the first player since Novak Djokovic in 2015 to sweep the season's first five Masters titles.
Sinner next faces 19th seed Cameron Norrie. Should he lift the trophy, he would become the first player since Novak Djokovic in 2015 to sweep the season's first five Masters titles.
Shelton Stunned by Qualifier Prizmic in His Opening Match
Fresh off his Munich Open title, Madrid fourth seed Ben Shelton fell in three sets to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic, 6:4, 6:7(4), 7:6(5) — the biggest upset of the week.
Fifth seed Alex de Minaur fared no better, swept aside 6:3, 6:1 by Spanish wildcard Rafael Jodar. Jodar then edged star prospect João Fonseca in a three-set thriller to emerge as the dark horse of the week.
Fifth seed Alex de Minaur fared no better, swept aside 6:3, 6:1 by Spanish wildcard Rafael Jodar. Jodar then edged star prospect João Fonseca in a three-set thriller to emerge as the dark horse of the week.
Medvedev Back on Clay, Outlasts Marozsan in Three Sets
World No. 7 Daniil Medvedev beat Hungary's Fabian Marozsan 6:2, 6:7(3), 6:4 — his first clay-court win since a bruising Monte Carlo defeat (0:6, 1:6), and a first step toward reviving his clay season.
Andreeva Powers Into the Last 16; Naomi Osaka Advances Comfortably
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, 19 and ranked No. 9, shut out Hungary's Galfi 6:3, 6:2 to cruise into the last 16 — her fourth straight year reaching that stage in Madrid. Her clay record this season is a sparkling 9–1. Naomi Osaka also advanced with ease, leaving the round of 16 wide open as the new and old guard collide.
Tsitsipas Shows Signs of Life in Madrid, Beats Bublik in Straight Sets
Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated world No. 11 Alexander Bublik 6:2, 7:5 in a high-quality straight-sets win. For a player mired in a long slump, it was a much-needed shot in the arm — he played with clarity and served solidly throughout. Lorenzo Musetti also advanced, beating Hurkacz 6:4, 7:6(4).
Team China
🔥 First Clay Win for Qinwen Zheng, China's Last Player Standing in Madrid
Z
Qinwen Zheng
WTA No. 37 · 32nd seed in Madrid
W
Xinyu Wang
WTA No. 32 · 28th seed in Madrid
Z
Shuai Zhang
WTA No. 66
🎯 After skipping back-to-back 500 events in Charleston and Stuttgart with a right elbow injury, Qinwen Zheng rallied past Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin 1:6, 6:3, 6:3 to open her 2026 clay campaign with a win.
She fired 11 aces and converted all 5 of her break-point chances — Xinhua wrote that she had "rediscovered the fire within."
⚔️ In the third round (around the early hours of April 28, Beijing time) she faces world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, trailing their head-to-head 1–3. Rybakina, fresh off defending her Stuttgart title, is in superb form on clay — but Zheng's aggressive game is showing clear signs of revival.
⚠️ With Xinyu Wang and Shuai Zhang both out, Zheng is the last Chinese player standing in Madrid, carrying the nation's hopes for the clay season.
She fired 11 aces and converted all 5 of her break-point chances — Xinhua wrote that she had "rediscovered the fire within."
⚔️ In the third round (around the early hours of April 28, Beijing time) she faces world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, trailing their head-to-head 1–3. Rybakina, fresh off defending her Stuttgart title, is in superb form on clay — but Zheng's aggressive game is showing clear signs of revival.
⚠️ With Xinyu Wang and Shuai Zhang both out, Zheng is the last Chinese player standing in Madrid, carrying the nation's hopes for the clay season.
Rankings Snapshot (as of this week)
🎾 ATP Men's Singles TOP 5
| 1 | 🇮🇹Sinner | 11,200+ | — |
| 2 | 🇪🇸Alcaraz | ~9,900 | — |
| 3 | 🇩🇪Zverev | ~7,200 | — |
| 4 | 🇬🇧Draper | ~5,800 | — |
| 5 | 🇺🇸Shelton | ~5,200 | ↓ |
🎾 WTA Women's Singles TOP 5
| 1 | 🇧🇾Sabalenka | 11,025 | — |
| 2 | 🇰🇿Rybakina | 8,108 | ↑ |
| 3 | 🇺🇸Gauff | 7,278 | — |
| 4 | 🇵🇱Swiatek | 7,263 | ↓ |
| 5 | 🇺🇸Pegula | 6,243 | — |
What to Watch Next Week
🗓️ Madrid Decision Week · The Clay Season Sprint
Qinwen Zheng vs Elena Rybakina · Madrid Round of 16
Madrid Open: Quarterfinals → Final
Italian Open · Rome
The French Open · Roland Garros