Madrid opens with new questions, returning stars and a marquee rematch

MADRID — Coco Gauff started the year on fire, helping her American team to the United Cup title and winning nine of her first 10 matches in Australia.

Since then it’s been a more pedestrian 5-5, but on Tuesday she expressed optimism that some significant momentum could be only one match away.

“I always thought I was that kind of person who needed matches to bring confidence,” Gauff said at the Mutua Madrid Open. “But a lot of my results came out of nowhere, without not as many matches doing well. So I started to believe that you can turn it around any week — but just as quickly as you go on a tear, you can also lose.

“So I’m treating each tournament with a new perspective and a new mindset.”

Gauff and some of the other top seeds met the media Tuesday; the 32 seeded players all have byes. First-round play continues Wednesday, with second-round matches Thursday (bottom half of the draw) and Friday (top half).

Some other takeaways heading into increasingly serious play at the famed La Caja Magica:

Paolini: Yes, to high-tech

One of the anachronistic charms of tennis in this age of technology comes when the chair umpire scurries out of the chair and closely inspects the ball mark left in the red clay. Like newspapers and cash, it’s a vanishing breed.

The ATP Tour has gone to electronic line calling at all of its red clay events this year, following a general trend. The Australian Open and US Open adopted electronic line calling in 2021 and Wimbledon will join them later this summer. The one holdout? Roland Garros.

On Tuesday, Jasmine Paolini — a finalist last year at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon — said she preferred the electronic monitoring system in place here at the Mutua Madrid Open.

“I know that sometimes maybe can be wrong, one, two millimeters,” Paolini said. “But at the same point, I remember what happened to Jannik Sinner last year in Monte Carlo. The ball was out, and he didn’t realize. A human can make a mistake, umpire can make mistakes.

“With [electronic]everybody’s the same and there’s no repeating the point. I think that that’s more fair.”

Superseding superstitions

Mirra Andreeva admits she’s torn sometimes.

“Some days,” she said. “I feel like I need to sit on the left chair from the umpire because, `OK, I’m going to play better because of this.’ And sometimes those little thoughts are coming to my head. Like, `Maybe I should put my water bottle like this, or maybe I should take the same ball that I won the point with before.’

“But I’m trying to not pay attention to that — to play tennis on the court and not think about those superstitions.”

Pick ‘em

Players were asked which traits of other players they might wish to have.

“I would like to have volleys like Roger Federer,” Andreeva said. “Physical abilities like Carlos Alcaraz.”

The reporter laughed, adding, `I would too.”

Paolini had one request: “A faster serve, for sure.”

Gauff, meanwhile, had this very specific wish list:

“Probably Ons [Jabeur’s] hands,” she said. “She has really good hands. A drop shot is something I would like to play more, but I’m not the best at executing it sometimes.

“For me, the worst is sometimes when you miss it and you’re like `I probably should have hit it.’ But then if you make it, it’s like, `Wow. I’m the greatest player on earth.’”

Stats to savor

• The past two finals at the Mutua Madrid Open have been contested between the WTA’s Nos. 1 and 2 players — Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. This could be the first time since 2009 it happens in three consecutive years at a WTA 1000 event.
• Since the format’s introduction, Swiatek could become the first player to win the same WTA 1000 clay tournament three consecutive times.
• Victoria Azarenka is appearing in her 100th WTA 1000 main draw, becoming the third player since 2009 to appear in 100-plus WTA 1000 main draws along with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (114) and Petra Kvitova (105). All three players are in the field this year.

Top 5 tidbits

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka: She’s coming off a disappointing final in Stuttgart, losing 6-4, 6-1 to Jelena Ostapenko. The good news? Sabalenka has won two clay titles — and they both came in Madrid, where the altitude speeds up play and gives her power game a lift.

No. 2 Iga Swiatek: Among players with five-plus matches at this event since 2009, Serena Williams (20-3, .870) holds the highest win in Madrid, while Swiatek (13-2, .867) is best among currently active players. Swiatek’s last three tournaments: Losses to teenagers Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells and Alexandra Eala in Miami, and a quarterfinal defeat by Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula: Working on an impressive run, featuring 11 wins in 13 matches. Pegula reached the final in Miami, won the Credit One Charleston Open title and reached the quarterfinals at Stuttgart.

No. 4 Coco Gauff: Began the year with a bang, leading the United States to victory at the United Cup and now stands 14-6 on the season. Won her first match in Stuttgart but fell in the second to fellow Top 10 player Jasmine Paolini. Gauff reached the Round of 16 here a year ago but lost to fellow American …

No. 5 Madison Keys: Broke through with her first Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open. Sporting a 20-4 record, having split four matches in her two most recent events, Miami and Charleston.

Keep an eye on …

• Petra Kvitova has won the Mutua Madrid Open on three occasions — 2011, 2015 and 2018. Since the event’s inauguration in 2009, she has appeared in 42 matches and won 32 — both more than any other woman. Wednesday’s first-round match is against Katie Volynets.
• This is the first tour-level outing for 19-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala since her amazing run to the semifinals in Miami. She’s again a wild card in Madrid and Tuesday’s 6-3, 6-2 win over Viktoriya Tomova sets up an intriguing second-round rematch on Thursday against Swiatek.
• Paula Badosa. Since the event’s inauguration in 2009, a Spanish player has yet to reach the Madrid final. Badosa, who has been troubled by two different back injuries, went the furthest, reaching the semifinal in 2021. She said Tuesday she’d line up for her second-round match on Friday.
• Three women have won the Madrid title while holding the No. 1 ranking: Serena Williams (2013), Swiatek (2024) and Dinara Safina (2009). Safina is now onsite coaching No. 13 seed Diana Shnaider.