In a stunning upset at the Madrid Open, world number 1 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz saw his title defense come to an end in a three-set defeat to Andrey Rublev. The Russian played with aggression and composure, earning the biggest victory of his career on clay.
The match began with Alcaraz taking the first set 6-4, but Rublev quickly turned the tide in the second, breaking Alcaraz’s serve in the second game and dominating the rest of the set to take it 6-3. In the third set, Rublev continued his strong play, breaking Alcaraz’s serve twice more to seal the victory 6-2.
Rublev’s win is a major upset, as Alcaraz had been in excellent form coming into the tournament. However, Rublev’s aggressive playstyle and ability to stay calm under pressure proved too much for the Spaniard.
The loss is a disappointment for Alcaraz, who was looking to win his third consecutive title in Madrid. However, Rublev’s victory shows that the young Russian is a force to be reckoned with on clay.
In the semi-finals, Rublev will face either American Taylor Fritz or Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo. Fritz advanced to the semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Karen Khachanov, while Cerundolo upset fourth seed Alexander Zverev in three sets.
The Madrid Open is one of the most prestigious clay-court tournaments in the world, and Rublev’s victory is a major boost to his confidence ahead of the French Open, which starts later this month.
