Alexander Blockx's remarkable run at the Madrid Open continued on Thursday as the Belgian defeated defending champion Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals. The 21-year-old, ranked 69th in the world, has now become the fourth lowest-ranked player to reach the last four in Madrid, according to ATP statistics.
Blockx's Breakthrough Performance
Blockx had not won an ATP Tour match on clay before his third-round appearance in Monte Carlo three weeks ago. Since then, he has beaten third seed Félix Auger-Aliassime and Francisco Cerúndolo en route to the semifinals. "To be honest, I'm just happy with being here," Blockx said. "Even winning my first match here. I barely escaped in the first round and I was happy about that already. Semi-finals is something I wouldn't have even dreamed of to begin with."
Blockx is the second man born in 2005 or later to reach the semifinals at a Masters 1000 event, following Jakub Mensik, who won in Miami in 2025. "I'm proud of how I've played these past couple of matches," Blockx added. "The conditions suit me well here. I feel like it's clay which is slow, so I have time to settle and hit my shots, go for my shots. At the same time, it's quite fast with the altitude and the heat sometimes. It's the perfect combination for me."
Ruud's Defeat and Ranking Drop
For Ruud, the loss means the Norwegian will fall out of the top 20 next week for the first time since May 2021. Blockx now has four wins against top 20 opponents, all coming this month, with only two defeats.
Andreeva Holds Off Baptiste in Thrilling Contest
Mirra Andreeva overcame a late challenge from Hailey Baptiste to win 6-4, 7-6 (8) and reach the Madrid Open final. Andreeva, who turned 19 on Wednesday, is now 12-1 on clay this season, with a title in Linz, a semifinal in Stuttgart, and now a final in Madrid. "I feel so much adrenaline inside, I feel like I'm still nervous," Andreeva said. "Honestly, I'm just so happy that I won ... I'm very happy with how I served today."
Baptiste had shocked world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals, saving six match points, but struggled against Andreeva. The American made 16 unforced errors in the first set and handed Andreeva a break in the seventh game. Despite a second-set comeback, where Baptiste saved a match point and broke back to force a tie-break, Andreeva prevailed after saving three set points. Baptiste fired an ace to save a match point but eventually hit a return long, giving Andreeva the victory.
Andreeva will face either Anastasia Potapova or Marta Kostyuk in the final. This is her third WTA 1000 final, having won the Dubai Championships and Indian Wells Open last year.
Alcaraz Brothers in Madrid
Carlos Alcaraz was present at the Madrid Open on Thursday as a spectator, watching his younger brother Jaime compete in an under-16 tournament. The world number two watched from the stands as Jaime defeated fellow Spaniard Pol Mas 6-3, 6-3. Carlos withdrew from the Madrid Open due to a right wrist injury, which will prevent him from defending his French Open title in three weeks.
