Madrid Open: Swiatek and Sabalenka Cruise to Quarterfinals

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka advance to the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open, setting up exciting matchups.

World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was eliminated from the Madrid Open by Francisco Cerundolo, ranked 21, with a 7-5, 6-3 loss. This marks a significant upset for the two-time former winner.

Defending women's champion Iga Swiatek reached the quarterfinals after a tough 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4 win over Diana Shnaider. This marks her fifth WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the season.

Francisco Cerundolo will face Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals after Mensik's 6-3, 6-2 win over Alexander Bublik.

Zverev said, “I didn't play terrible, he just played better than me.” He had two set points in the first set but couldn't convert, losing 7-5. Zverev struggled with over-hitting in the second set, getting broken immediately and falling behind 4-1. Frustrated, Zverev tossed his racket, but Cerundolo remained calm and closed out the match.

Alexander Zverev posts a photo of a ball mark that was called ‘in’ by electronic line calling.

“Interesting call”

👀 pic.twitter.com/AQ5KXhToML

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 27, 2025

Francisco Cerundolo expressed his delight over beating Alexander Zverev, saying, “I'm super happy because I know he loves playing here. He told me last year when I beat him. He's an incredible player. I have a great relationship with him, so super happy to get another win and to be in the quarter-finals again.”

A power outage on Monday disrupted play at the Caja Magica, but matches resumed at midday on Tuesday. Grigor Dimitrov finally sealed a 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Jacob Fearnley, converting his third match point after a 27-hour delay.

The match between Grigor Dimitrov and Jacob Fearnley was suspended on Monday with Dimitrov leading 6-4, 5-4. Play resumed on Tuesday, and Dimitrov won the tiebreaker to seal a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory after converting his third match point.

Dimitrov reflected on the match's unusual circumstances, saying, “That shows you how quickly anything can change, in life as well. From one point, you're serving for the match, from the other you're about to receive, and then the lights went out.” He'll face lucky loser Gabriel Diallo in the fourth round.

Matteo Berrettini retired due to an abdominal injury after losing the first set tiebreaker to Jack Draper.

Jack Draper is set to face Tommy Paul in the last 16. Draper's road to this match included a 6-3, 6-4 win over Tallon Griekspoor and a retirement win against Matteo Berrettini due to an abdominal injury.

Alex de Minaur, seeded sixth, defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6(3), advancing to face Italian Lorenzo Musetti. De Minaur's 24 wins this season tie him with Carlos Alcaraz for the most victories on tour in 2025.

Frances Tiafoe, the 16th seed, secured a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Alexandre Muller. He'll next face Matteo Arnaldi, who previously defeated Novak Djokovic.

Women's Draw Developments

Lot of drama for Iga Świątek to overcome 13 break points and secure her spot in the quarterfinals, where she will face Madison Keys. Świątek said she enjoyed the unexpected break caused by the power outage, saying, “Honestly, I liked yesterday, I think the whole world was more relaxed kind of... I just chilled and used the time not thinking about what I should do.”

Meanwhile, world number one Aryna Świątek's rival, world number two Aryna Sabekna breezed past Peyton Stearns, winning 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.

Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Peyton Stearns. She'll next face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.

Sabalenka has enjoyed success in Madrid, winning titles in 2021 and 2023, and reaching the final last year.