The Mutua Madrid Open draw has been announced, with the tournament set to begin on Tuesday and broadcast live on Sky Sports. Britain's Jack Draper has withdrawn from the competition as he continues to recover from a knee injury sustained during the Barcelona Open.
Draper joins a list of high-profile withdrawals, including Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic. The 2024 US Open semi-finalist is also expected to miss the Italian Open next month but is targeting a return to action at the French Open in May. In a statement, Draper explained that an 'aggravated tendon in my knee' has ruled him out of the Madrid and Rome events, but he is 'thankful it isn't anything more serious' and is 'looking forward to building momentum' from the French Open onwards. Meanwhile, Britain's Cameron Norrie will participate in the tournament and has received a first-round bye.
Norrie reached the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open last week, following a second-round exit at Monte Carlo. Katie Boulter will begin her campaign against American Taylor Townsend in the first round, with a potential meeting against fifth seed Jessica Pegula awaiting the winner.
Boulter has defeated Townsend in all three of their previous encounters, although they haven't met since the 2024 Beijing tournament. Townsend has been in good form this season, reaching the final of the ATX Open WTA 250 in February. A victory for Boulter would set up a second-round clash with Pegula, who recently won her second WTA title of the season in Charleston. Despite the absence of notable players like Alcaraz and Djokovic, Jannik Sinner will be the top seed and has also received a first-round bye.
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