Here’s everything you need to know about the Madrid Open, which is live on Sky Sports from April 23 to May 5.
The WTA final will take place on Saturday May 4, with the ATP singles final taking place the following day.
Who’s in action on Thursday in Madrid?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Nadal says he won’t play in the French Open if he feels like he is in Madrid ahead of his opening match
Rafael Nadal has said he is far from being in top form and that he is only playing against American Darwin Blanch in the first round on Thursday as a personal sacrifice.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner is a record five-time champion in Madrid, with his last title in the Spanish capital coming in 2017. He is scheduled to play on Thursday against 16-year-old Blanch from 4pm BST – live on Sky Sports Tennis.
Blanch, who was born in 2007, is ranked 1,028th in the world and is without a tour or challenger win in his career. He was recently playing third tier ITF tennis before receiving a main draw wild card to Madrid.
The age gap of 21 years and 117 days will be the biggest between two opponents in an ATP Masters 1000 match, surpassing the 19 years and 204 days between Richard Gasquet and Martin Landaluce in Madrid last year – since the format’s introduction in 1990.
Live Tennis
Thursday 25th April 10:00am
Naomi Osaka is back in action against Liudmila Samsonova from 11.30am, with Coco Gauff playing Arantxa Rus straight after.
World No 1 Iga Swiatek opens her campaign against Wang Xiyu from 6pm.
Remaining Madrid Open schedule
- Thursday April 25 – Men’s first round, Women’s first & second round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 10am
- Friday April 26 – Men’s & Women’s singles second round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 10am
- Saturday April 27 – Men’s second round, Women’s third round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 10am
- Sunday April 28 – Men’s & Women’s singles third round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 10am
- Monday April 29 – Women’s singles fourth round, Men’s third round, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 10am
- Tuesday April 30 – Men’s singles fourth round, Women’s quarter-finals, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 10am
- Wednesday May 1 – Men’s & Women’s singles quarter-finals, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 12pm
- Thursday May 2 – Women’s singles semi-finals, Men’s quarter-finals, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 12pm
- Friday May 3 – Men’s singles semi-finals, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 12pm
- Saturday May 4 – Women’s singles final, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 12.30pm
- Sunday May 5 – Men’s singles final, live on Sky Sports Tennis from 12.30pm
Where is the Madrid Open being held?
Room with a view! Welcome to the Caja Magica (Magic Box)
The iconic Caja Magica (Magic Box) at the Manzanares Park Tennis Centre has been the home of the tournament since 2009.
There are three courts all with retractable roofs and a total capacity of just over 17,000 seats (12,442 in Estadio Manolo Santana, 2923 in Estadio Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and 1772 Estadio 3).
Who are the defending champions?
Carlos Alcaraz is the defending Madrid Open men’s singles champion
Carlos Alcaraz is aiming for a ‘threepeat’ having won the title in 2022 and 2023, beating Alexander Zverev in the final two years ago and then Jan-Lennard Struff last year.
Aryna Sabalenka defeated world No 1 Iga Swiatek in 2023 to win her second Madrid title in three years.
Innovative doubles trial kicks off in Madrid
Changes being trialed at the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open include:
- More Singles vs. Doubles action. The 32-team draw will feature up to 16 slots reserved for teams entering via their singles ranking, creating an unprecedented number of matchups between the world’s top doubles and singles players, and compelling new narratives for fans.
- Streamlined schedule over five days (Tuesday to Saturday) during Week Two of the tournament, providing a simpler and sharper schedule for fans and players.
- Reduced shot clock to accelerate the pace of play and minimise downtime during matches. Time between points will be reduced to 15 seconds following rallies shorter than four shots (four or more shots = 25 seconds).
- Quicker changeovers with fewer sit-downs to accelerate the pace of play.
- Free fan movement in the arena during play, adding convenience to the on-site experience.
Upcoming tennis live on Sky Sports
In the run-up to the second Grand Slam of 2024 – the French Open at Roland-Garros from May 26 – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the clay-court season…
- Madrid Open (ATP and WTA Masters 1000) – Tuesday April 22-Sunday May 5
- Italian Open (ATP and WTA Masters 1000) – Tuesday May 7-Sunday May 19
- Geneva Open (ATP 250) – Monday May 20-Sunday May 26
- Lyon Open (ATP 250) – Monday May 20-Sunday May 26
- Internationaux de Strasbourg (WTA 500) – Monday May 20-Sunday May 26
- Morocco Open (WTA 250) – Monday May 20-Sunday May 26
How to watch play on Sky Sports Tennis
Sky Sports will broadcast more live tennis than anywhere else in 2024, including on its dedicated tennis channel, bringing over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments a year on the ATP and WTA Tours, plus full coverage of the US Open exclusively live.
Non-Sky subscribers can stream live matches contract-free with a NOW Sports Day or Month Membership.
Fans will also be able to follow their favourite players and gain deeper insights from both Tours via Sky Sports News, the Sky Sports App and skysports.com as well as via Sky Sports’ social channels.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA Tours
Ad content | Stream Sky Sports on NOW
Stream Sky Sports live with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW. Instant access to live action from the Premier League and EFL, plus darts, cricket, tennis, golf and so much more.
Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp
You can now receive messages and alerts for the latest breaking sports news, analysis, in-depth features and videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel. Find out more here…
