World number one Jannik Sinner demonstrated his resilience on Wednesday by edging out 19-year-old wildcard Rafael Jodar with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) victory in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open. The win not only secured his place in the semifinals but also marked him as the sixth player in history to reach the semifinal stage of all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. From the opening game, the 24-year-old Italian displayed a disciplined and aggressive brand of tennis.
He broke the home crowd favorite twice in the first set, building a comfortable 5-2 lead before sealing the set with a powerful backhand winner that left Jodar scrambling. The Spaniard, who had captured his first tour title in Morocco earlier this month, showed flashes of brilliance but could not sustain the pressure against Sinner’s consistency. The second set proved far more contested. Jodar surged ahead to 4-2, threatening to turn the tide, but Sinner fought back, saving two break points to level the score at 3-3.
A double fault from Sinner gave Jodar another chance to break, yet the Italian responded with a series of strong cross‑court forehands and two backhand winners that clipped the sideline, denying the Spaniard any further foothold. Sinner then raced ahead to 40-15, but Jodar displayed tenacity, saving three break points of his own before finally clinching the game. As the set progressed, Sinner’s experience on clay began to dominate. He maintained a high level of intensity, and when the tie‑break arrived, he took control, winning it 7-0.
A decisive forehand down the line sealed the match, leaving Jodar with little chance to recover. The victory was a crucial step for Sinner, who is chasing his second clay‑court title of the season after his triumph at the Monte‑Carlo Masters. In the post‑match interview with Sky Sports Tennis, Sinner praised his opponent, saying, "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 it would be very difficult to beat him, especially here on this surface.
He knows how to play in these conditions, and I managed to gain 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 game a bit, play a little faster, and that helped me." Sinner’s next opponent in the semifinals will be the winner of the match between France’s Arthur Fils and the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka, scheduled for later on Wednesday. The tournament also featured a historic achievement on the women’s side.
Anastasia Potapova, a Russian‑born Austrian, became the first lucky loser ever to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal after a thrilling 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 win over former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova. Potapova had fallen in the qualifying rounds just a week earlier, but her unexpected entry into the main draw turned into a remarkable run, highlighted by victories over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina.
When asked if she ever imagined being among the final four after her qualifying loss, Potapova responded, "No, I wouldn’t have believed it for any amount of money. 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 right now." In the deciding set against Pliskova, Potapova trailed 3-1 before launching a five‑game streak, culminating in a decisive ace that sent her opponent to the floor. Reflecting on the match, she admitted, "I had a few match points in the second set on serve and I couldn’t manage my nerves at the time. But this tournament keeps giving me second chances and I keep using them." Potapova’s semifinal opponent will be Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who dispatched Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-1), 6-0. Kostyuk, who eliminated Potapova in the fourth round of the Madrid Open last year, enters the match unbeaten on clay this season.
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