Madrid Open: Are Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz and Raducanu playing?

The Madrid Open will feature the top stars from the ATP and WTA tours.

Carlos Alcaraz has won the men’s title the last two successive years and is bidding to become the first player to win three in a row.

The women’s trophy was won by Aryna Sabalenka as she beat Iga Swiatek in the final.

Who’s playing the Madrid Open this season? Are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz, Swiatek and Sabalenka playing? When is the draw?

When is the Madrid Open?

The WTA main draw at the Madrid Open starts on Tuesday, April 23 and the ATP main draw starts on Wednesday, April 24.

Play starts at 10am UK time every day until midway through the second week. From May 1 to May 3, play begins at midday UK time, and on finals weekend play starts at 2.30pm.

There are also night sessions running from April 26 to May 3 which start at 7pm.

The women’s final will be held on Saturday, May 4 and the men’s final will be on Sunday, May 5.

When is the Madrid Open draw?

The women’s singles draw will be held on Sunday, April 21 at 5pm UK time and the men’s draw will be on Monday, April 22.

Who is playing the Madrid Open?

The Madrid Open was set to be the first clay event that both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have played since the 2022 French Open – until Djokovic pulled out.

Djokovic has not given a reason for his withdrawal, but his absence means world No. 2 Jannik Sinner will be the top seed.

Nadal will be unseeded as he continues his comeback using a protected ranking.

Carlos Alcaraz’s status is unknown after he missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to an arm injury.

The world No. 3 is in Madrid ahead of the tournament, but said last week in Barcelona: “My goal is to try and go to the Madrid Open, but at the moment nothing is certain.

“I was given specific recovery times and I’ve respected them, but I haven’t felt good. I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

Alcaraz hasn’t played since losing in the Miami Open quarter-finals.

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will headline the women’s draw.

The pair contested the final in Madrid last year and as the top two seeds could meet again with the trophy on the line.

picture

Aryna Sabalenka won Madrid in 2023

Image credit: Getty Images

Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina will be among those looking to challenge for the title, while two-time champion Simona Halep and former runner-up Caroline Wozniacki have both got wildcards.

This will be Halep’s second tournament since returning to the tour after her doping ban was reduced from four years to nine months.

Naomi Osaka is also on the entry list but Emma Raducanu isn’t currently in the draw.

However, as she is not ranked high enough for entry, unless she gets a late wildcard she looks set to miss Madrid.

Djokovic set for Rome return

This is only the third time since 2015 that Djokovic has not won a title by this stage of the season.

The other two times were in 2022, when he was unable to play in Australia or the United States due to being unvaccinated for Covid-19, and 2018, when he had elbow surgery early in the year.

This season he had only played three tournaments before Monte Carlo, losing to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup, Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semis, and then the upset in the third round at Indian Wells against lucky loser Luca Nardi.

It looks like he is next going to play the Italian Open, which starts on May 8, as he builds up for the French Open, Wimbledon and Olympics.

“I want to reach my peak for Paris – that’s where I want to play my best tennis,” said Djokovic in Monte Carlo.

“Anything else is a bonus, so let’s see what happens.”

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Madrid Open: Are Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz and Raducanu playing?

The Madrid Open will feature the top stars from the ATP and WTA tours.

Carlos Alcaraz has won the men’s title the last two successive years and is bidding to become the first player to win three in a row.

The women’s trophy was won by Aryna Sabalenka as she beat Iga Swiatek in the final.

Who’s playing the Madrid Open this season? Are Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz, Swiatek and Sabalenka playing? When is the draw?

When is the Madrid Open?

The WTA main draw at the Madrid Open starts on Tuesday, April 23 and the ATP main draw starts on Wednesday, April 24.

Play starts at 10am UK time every day until midway through the second week. From May 1 to May 3, play begins at midday UK time, and on finals weekend play starts at 2.30pm.

There are also night sessions running from April 26 to May 3 which start at 7pm.

The women’s final will be held on Saturday, May 4 and the men’s final will be on Sunday, May 5.

When is the Madrid Open draw?

The women’s singles draw will be held on Sunday, April 21 at 5pm UK time and the men’s draw will be on Monday, April 22.

Who is playing the Madrid Open?

The Madrid Open was set to be the first clay event that both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have played since the 2022 French Open – until Djokovic pulled out.

Djokovic has not given a reason for his withdrawal, but his absence means world No. 2 Jannik Sinner will be the top seed.

Nadal will be unseeded as he continues his comeback using a protected ranking.

Carlos Alcaraz’s status is unknown after he missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to an arm injury.

The world No. 3 is in Madrid ahead of the tournament, but said last week in Barcelona: “My goal is to try and go to the Madrid Open, but at the moment nothing is certain.

“I was given specific recovery times and I’ve respected them, but I haven’t felt good. I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

Alcaraz hasn’t played since losing in the Miami Open quarter-finals.

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will headline the women’s draw.

The pair contested the final in Madrid last year and as the top two seeds could meet again with the trophy on the line.

picture

Aryna Sabalenka won Madrid in 2023

Image credit: Getty Images

Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina will be among those looking to challenge for the title, while two-time champion Simona Halep and former runner-up Caroline Wozniacki have both got wildcards.

This will be Halep’s second tournament since returning to the tour after her doping ban was reduced from four years to nine months.

Naomi Osaka is also on the entry list but Emma Raducanu isn’t currently in the draw.

However, as she is not ranked high enough for entry, unless she gets a late wildcard she looks set to miss Madrid.

Djokovic set for Rome return

This is only the third time since 2015 that Djokovic has not won a title by this stage of the season.

The other two times were in 2022, when he was unable to play in Australia or the United States due to being unvaccinated for Covid-19, and 2018, when he had elbow surgery early in the year.

This season he had only played three tournaments before Monte Carlo, losing to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup, Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semis, and then the upset in the third round at Indian Wells against lucky loser Luca Nardi.

It looks like he is next going to play the Italian Open, which starts on May 8, as he builds up for the French Open, Wimbledon and Olympics.

“I want to reach my peak for Paris – that’s where I want to play my best tennis,” said Djokovic in Monte Carlo.

“Anything else is a bonus, so let’s see what happens.”

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Wozniacki blows away Kessler in dominant Charleston Open first-round victory

Caroline Wozniacki stormed to a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory against McCartney Kessler in the first round of the Charleston Open.

Kessler, who won a WTA 125 title at the Puerto Vallarta Open in February, progressed to the main draw of the clay event in Charleston as a lucky loser.

She was completely blown away by her first-round opponent, crashing out of the WTA 500 tournament in just 61 minutes.

Wozniacki raced through the first set with little response, breaking Kessler on three occasions.

It appeared as if Kessler might claw her way back into the encounter in the second set, breaking Wozniacki early as she took a 1-0 lead.

But the former world No. 1 rolled back the years as she claimed six games in quick succession to wrap up the victory.

Wozniacki was making her return to the Charleston Open after a five-year absence. She ended her three-year retirement from tennis, during which time she had two children, in August 2023.

The 33-year-old won the Charleston Open in 2011 and reached the final in 2009 and 2019. In fact, she has never lost before the quarter-finals in Charleston.

Up next will be Anhelina Kalinina, who received a bye into the second round as the 15th seed.

It will be the second time Wozniacki faces Kalinina in as many weeks, with the latter coming back from one set down to triumph in the second round of the Miami Open last month.

Meanwhile, Magda Linette recorded a straightforward 6-3 6-4 victory against Petra Martic to set up a tie against Dayana Yastremska.

Viktoriya Tomova will play third seed Maria Sakkari after earning a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win against Mayar Sherif, while Daria Saville will meet seventh seed Elina Svitolina following a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory against Tamara Korpatsch.

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Wozniacki blows away Kessler in dominant Charleston Open first-round victory

Caroline Wozniacki stormed to a dominant 6-0 6-1 victory against McCartney Kessler in the first round of the Charleston Open.

Kessler, who won a WTA 125 title at the Puerto Vallarta Open in February, progressed to the main draw of the clay event in Charleston as a lucky loser.

She was completely blown away by her first-round opponent, crashing out of the WTA 500 tournament in just 61 minutes.

Wozniacki raced through the first set with little response, breaking Kessler on three occasions.

It appeared as if Kessler might claw her way back into the encounter in the second set, breaking Wozniacki early as she took a 1-0 lead.

But the former world No. 1 rolled back the years as she claimed six games in quick succession to wrap up the victory.

Wozniacki was making her return to the Charleston Open after a five-year absence. She ended her three-year retirement from tennis, during which time she had two children, in August 2023.

The 33-year-old won the Charleston Open in 2011 and reached the final in 2009 and 2019. In fact, she has never lost before the quarter-finals in Charleston.

Up next will be Anhelina Kalinina, who received a bye into the second round as the 15th seed.

It will be the second time Wozniacki faces Kalinina in as many weeks, with the latter coming back from one set down to triumph in the second round of the Miami Open last month.

Meanwhile, Magda Linette recorded a straightforward 6-3 6-4 victory against Petra Martic to set up a tie against Dayana Yastremska.

Viktoriya Tomova will play third seed Maria Sakkari after earning a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win against Mayar Sherif, while Daria Saville will meet seventh seed Elina Svitolina following a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory against Tamara Korpatsch.

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Kalinina rescues match point to defeat Wozniacki, Boulter’s opponent withdraws

Anhelina Kalinina came back from match point down against Caroline Wozniacki to triumph 5-7 7-5 6-4 and reach the third round at the Miami Open.

The encounter lasted three hours and 18 minutes as both players failed to make the most of opportunities to win the match.

Wozniacki won the fiercely-contested first set 7-5, before easing into a 3-0 lead in the second set.

It looked as if the former world No. 1 would quickly wrap up the match from then on, but Kalinina forced herself back into the encounter. She pushed to break Wozniacki, who saved 12 deuces as she took a 5-2 lead.

Kalinina finally broke Wozniacki to close the gap, before saving match point on her own serve and taking the battle to a deciding set.

Wozniacki appeared to pick up an injury as the match progressed, calling for a medical timeout shortly after the third set got underway.

Kalinina capitalised on her opponent’s struggles by taking a 5-3 lead. She failed to make the most of three match points, but finally triumphed on her fourth opportunity.

The Ukrainian will now take on either Paula Badosa or world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the next round.

Wozniacki was competing at the Miami Open for the 13th time, having won the WTA 1000 tournament in 2017.

The 33-year-old returned to tennis last year after a three-year absence, during which she had two children.

She has impressed during her comeback so far, reaching the round of 16 at the US Open and quarter-finals at Indian Wells.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Katie Boulter was awarded a walkover against Brenda Fruhvirtova after her 16-year-old opponent was forced to withdraw through illness.

Fruhvirtova began to struggle towards the end of the first set, despite a strong start which saw her take a 5-4 lead.

She was able to continue after receiving medical attention, but Boulter took advantage of her opponent’s dwindling energy and broke back for 5-5, eventually taking the set to a tie-break and winning.

Fruhvirtova then left the court briefly. When she returned for the second set she was quickly broken again by Boulter, and after calling a doctor on court for a second time, decided to withdraw from the match.

Boulter, the winner at the San Diego Open earlier this month, will progress to the round of 32 and play Beatriz Haddad Maia, who overcame Diane Parry 3-6 6-1 6-4 in her own second round match.

Taylor Townsend reached the Miami Open third round for the first time in seven years, upsetting Elise Mertens 6-2 6-2. The world No. 72 will now face either qualifier Clara Tauson or world No. 4 Elena Rybakina.

Anna Kalinskaya progressed with a 6-2 6-2 victory against Wang Xiyu, while Maria Sakkari overcame Yue Yuan by the same scoreline and Greet Minnen stunned Lesia Tsurenko 7-5 6-1.

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‘I’m not a cheater’ – Halep responds to Wozniacki wild card comments

Simona Halep says she is “not a cheater” as she responded to comments from Caroline Wozniacki that players who have “tested positive for doping” should not be awarded wild cards when they return to the sport.

Her previous match before that had been in the first round of the US Open back in August 2022, as an anti-doping violation after that encounter saw her suspended from playing.

Wozniacki, when questioned about Halep’s return in Florida, said: “I’ve been very outspoken in the past how I feel about doping and all of that.

“I have always wanted a clean sport, fair for everybody. I think it’s definitely still my opinion.

“This is not directly at Simona, but if someone purposely cheats, if someone has tested positive for doping it’s my personal belief that I don’t think people should be awarded wild cards afterwards.

“If you want to come back, and it’s been a mistake, I understand, you should work your way up from the bottom.”

Countering those comments, Halep pointed to the CAS findings.

The Romanian said: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t dope.

“So it’s better if we read the decision from CAS that it was a contaminated supplement, it wasn’t doping. I never had something to do with doping. I never doped, so I’m not a cheater.

“So, thank you to the tournament for giving me the wild card and to have the possibility to play in such a big tournament.

“It was great to be back and only one person being negative about me is not that important because I have hundreds of people that are giving me love, so I will take that.”

Halep’s comeback appeared to be going well when she stormed to a one-set lead over Spain’s Badosa, taking it 6-1.

However Badosa forged her way back into the encounter, taking the next two sets 6-4 6-3.

Of her return to the match court, the 32-year-old Halep said: “Well, it felt really good. I had emotions, but positive emotions.

“To see the crowd supporting me so nice gave me a lot of energy and the level of tennis was pretty good. Unexpected, I think for most of the people.

“For this high level like Paula played, I think I did a good job today. So, I’m happy with first match coming back.”

Badosa is set to take on No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the second round in Miami on Friday.

In action on Wednesday at the Hard Rock Stadium are Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens and Karolina Pliskova.

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