World number one Jannik Sinner demonstrated his composure and skill on Wednesday by defeating 19‑year‑old wildcard Rafael Jodar 6‑2, 7‑6 (7‑0) in the quarter‑finals of the Madrid Open. The victory not only propelled Sinner into the semi‑final round but also marked him as the sixth player in history to reach the semi‑final stage of every single ATP Masters 1000 event. From the opening game, the 24‑year‑old Italian displayed a disciplined approach. He broke the home crowd favourite twice in the first set, quickly establishing a 5‑2 lead.
Sinner then closed out the set with a powerful backhand winner that left the Spaniard scrambling. The first set concluded with Sinner cruising to a 6‑2 win, setting the tone for a tightly contested second set. Jodar, who had captured his inaugural tour title in Morocco earlier this month, showed flashes of brilliance in the second set.
He surged ahead to 4‑2, threatening to swing momentum in his favor. However, Sinner’s experience shone through as he saved two break points to level the score at 3‑3. A double fault from Sinner later gave Jodar another opportunity to break, but the Italian responded by fending off three break points with a crisp cross‑court forehand and two backhand winners that skimmed the sideline.
The battle intensified when Sinner surged ahead 40‑15 in the following game, only for Jodar to rescue three break points and claim the game himself. The tension escalated until the tie‑break, where Sinner, eager to clinch his second clay‑court title of the season after his triumph at the Monte‑Carlo Masters, dominated the decider. He sealed the match with a forehand that Jodar could not reach, completing a 7‑6 (7‑0) set win and a straight‑sets victory overall. In post‑match comments to Sky Sports Tennis, Sinner praised his opponent: "He's an incredible player, Spain has another amazing talent and it's great for the sport.
It was a tough challenge; I knew before the match that beating him here would be difficult, especially because he knows the conditions perfectly. I gained a little more experience in the second set, got a bit lucky at times, but I tried to keep the level as high as I could. I'm happy with how I finished the match.
I tried to raise my level a bit, play a little faster, and that helped me." Looking ahead, Sinner's semi‑final opponent will be determined by the outcome of the match between Arthur Fils and Jiri Lehecka, scheduled later on Wednesday. The same day also produced a historic moment on the women's side. Anastasia Potapova, a Russian‑born Austrian, became the first lucky loser ever to reach a WTA 1000 semi‑final. After falling in the qualifying rounds, Potapova entered the main draw as a replacement and proceeded to upset former world number one Karolina Pliskova with a 6‑1, 6‑7 (4‑7), 6‑3 victory.
Her run to the semi‑finals has been marked by impressive wins over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and world number two Elena Rybakina. When asked whether she ever imagined being among the final four after her qualifying loss, the unseeded Potapova replied, "No, I wouldn't have thought that for any amount of money or anything.
That's what makes our sport beautiful. I was given a second chance and now I'm here.
I'm super happy. There's nothing better that could happen to me in my life at the moment." In the deciding set against Pliskova, Potapova trailed 3‑1 before launching a remarkable comeback, winning five consecutive games and sealing the match with her tenth ace before collapsing to her knees in relief.
Reflecting on her performance, she said, "I had a few match points in the second set on serve. I couldn't manage my nerves at the time, I know that. But it seems like this tournament keeps giving me second chances and I keep using them." Potapova will now face Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the semi‑finals.
Kostyuk, who defeated Linda Noskova 7‑6 (7‑1), 6‑0, had previously bested Potapova in the fourth round of the Madrid Open last year and remains unbeaten on clay this season. Both the ATP and WTA events in Madrid are being broadcast live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available through NOW and the Sky Sports app, offering subscribers access to more than 50 percent additional live sport coverage at no extra cost. Fans can follow the ongoing action, check scores, watch highlights, and enjoy in‑depth analysis as the tournaments progress toward their respective finals.