Spaniard eases to 6-1, 6-0 victory over 16-year-old wildcard Veteran to face Alex de Minaur in second round of Madrid Open As Rafael Nadal prepared to enter the Estadio Manolo Santana for what could have been his final match on home soil, like every single match this week could be, much of the 12,400 capacity crowd filled out the walkway around the stadium. He emerged to a prolonged standing ovation, necks craning to catch a fleeting glimpse of his entrance. It was a moment. The start of a final homecoming for the greatest athlete from these lands, but it remains to be seen if he has more to ..read more

Super-rich can avoid queues as club puts five-year debentures up for sale – applications close on Friday Tennis fans who struggle each year to secure tickets in Wimbledon’s public ballot or wait hours in the famous queue may be surprised to discover that almost a fifth of the seats on Centre Court are being sold to the global super-rich for £116,000 – each. A total of 2,520 of the “debentures” are on sale, offering a reserved seat for each of the 14 days of the tournament for five years from 2026-30. Applications to buy the exclusive seats – positioned on the same level as the royal box – clos ..read more

A thrilling first-round encounter between Shang Juncheng and Corentin Moutet at the Madrid Open descended into controversy. Early on, Moutet clashed with the umpire after accusing a fan of verbal abuse and demanding their removal. He then claimed a fan spilled water on him mid-point in the third set. Adding to the drama, the Frenchman produced a bizarre moment in the decisive tiebreaker, attempting a foot return after his racquet fell while serving. Moutet ended up losing the marathon 3hr 59min match 6(9)-7, 6-2, 7-6(10) to the Chinese youngster. "It's gotta be the longest match I have ever pl ..read more

Argentinian easily wins first-round match 6-2, 6-2 Harriet Dart also out in straight sets; Jack Draper through The great challenge of professional tennis is not just performing at a high level but doing so week after week, regardless of the conditions, for a sustained period of time. Emma Raducanu has shown that she is capable of short bursts of excellence, but consistency and durability remain elusive. On Wednesday she suffered a comprehensive defeat in the first round of the Madrid Open, losing 6-2, 6-2 to María Lourdes Carlé, an Argentinian qualifier. Raducanu had arrived in Madrid having ..read more

Rafael Nadal was downbeat on his chances appearing at the French Open next month despite playing this week's Madrid Open. "The sensations haven't been perfect this week," Nadal said before facing the 16-year-old wildcard Darwin Blanch on Thursday. "If it wasn't Madrid, maybe I wouldn't play ... I'll keep fighting and doing the things that I think I need to do to play in Paris." The 37-year-old Nadal has said this is likely to be his final year on tour. Rafael Nadal reveals fear for French Open hopes amid ongoing ‘limitations ..read more

Spaniard’s downbeat assessment of possible Paris farewell Player preparing to take part in Madrid Open on Thursday Rafael Nadal says he will not return to the French Open for a final appearance unless his physical condition improves significantly in the coming weeks, but he will do everything within his power to be ready to compete in Paris next month. “I don’t know what is going to happen in the next three weeks,” said Nadal. “I am fighting and doing everything I can in order to try to play Paris. If I can play, I can. If I can’t play, then I can’t. I’m not going to play Paris how I am toda ..read more

As the end of his career draws ever closer, the ailing 14-time French Open champion faces a race against time to find form Towards the end of last week, before most of the 192 players in the Madrid Open main draw singles had even touched down in the Spanish capital, Rafael Nadal was already pounding balls on the courts of the Caja Mágica in preparation for the coming tournament. The four-times champion’s early arrival made sense. He is, after all, in a race against time to find at least a semblance of form before it’s too late. Not only is he tasked with somehow finding his feet after so many ..read more

‘I’m not rushing,’ says 24-time slam winner over decision 36-year-old split with Goran Ivanisevic after Indian Wells Novak Djokovic has given his strongest indication yet that he may not replace former coach Goran Ivanisevic, and instead choose to navigate this late stage of his career himself. Djokovic split with long-time coach Ivanisevic late last month and has been undergoing a trial period with compatriot and Serbia’s former Davis Cup captain Nenad Zimonjić, who was with him at the Monte-Carlo Masters a fortnight ago. However the 24-time major champion is yet to decide whether he wants ..read more

Casper Ruud earned the 11th and biggest ATP Tour title of his career at the Barcelona Open as he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-3 to lift the trophy at the clay-court ATP 500. Ruud's victory comes only seven days after Tsitsipas prevailed in the pair’s championship-match meeting in Monte Carlo. Ruud delivered a classy all-round display to clinch his first ATP Tour title of the season. The third seed converted three of six break points he earned during the match ..read more

This year offers a fresh chance to do right by women players at an event with a reputation for making them feel second class When the female tennis players head back to Spain’s capital for the Madrid Open this week, they may be forgiven for letting out a collective groan. A quick glance at the tournament’s history shows a litany of gaffes, accusations of inequality and a full-blown sexism row just last year. Not exactly a highlight of the calendar. It may be a new year but those memories are still fresh. One insider says the tournament – which is a WTA 1000 event, offering one of the most pres ..read more