Madrid Open Recap: Rublev Falls, Sabalenka Advances in Madrid

Andrey Rublev's Madrid Open title defense ends with a loss to Alexander Bublik, while Aryna Sabalenka battles past Elise Mertens to reach the last 16.

Andrey Rublev's Madrid Open title defense ended abruptly with a loss to Alexander Bublik in the third round. Bublik won 6-4, 0-6, 6-4, securing his 10th victory over a top-10 player.

The 75th-ranked Kazakh player broke Rublev in the first game of the deciding set and held on to take the match. Rublev's exit will see him drop to 17th in the rankings. Bublik will face the winner of Ben Shelton vs. Jakub Mensik in the last 16.

The highs and lows of an Alexander Bublik match 🤪 #MMOpen pic.twitter.com/rCnDDNGToh

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 27, 2025

Later matches feature top seed Alexander Zverev against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while other seeds continue their campaigns in the Madrid Open.

Aryna Sabalenka overcame a tough match against Elise Mertens, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the last 16 of the Madrid Open. The world number one admitted she didn't feel her best, becoming emotional in the first set.

pic.twitter.com/NunLWACPAz

— News Aryna Sabalenka (@Sabanewsss) April 27, 2025

“It was one of those days I didn't feel my best. I got super emotional at the beginning of the first set, with myself in a tough situation,” Sabalenka said. “I'm really happy I was able to bring such a high level in the second and third set... so really happy with the way it turned out in this match.”

Aryna Sabalenka will face either Peyton Stearns or Rebeka Masarova in the fourth round. Last year, Sabalenka lost a thrilling final to Iga Świątek in Madrid, but Świątek also had a smooth passage into the last 16 on Saturday, setting up a potential rematch.

Sabalenka is focused on taking it one step at a time, expressing her hope to reach the final and exact revenge on Świątek.