Madrid Open 2024: Alcaraz, Sabalenka breeze into third round

Defending champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both advanced to the third round of the Madrid Open after winning their initial matches on Friday.

Carlos Alcaraz made a strong return to competition after a month’s break due to a forearm injury, which caused him to miss the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open. He convincingly defeated Alexander Shevchenko with scores of 6-2, 6-1. Alcaraz, who is ranked third in the world, expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting the challenge of coming back without much recent play. “The priority today was to see how I felt, in a difficult match,” he stated, pleased with his level of play upon his return to Madrid.

Sporting a protective sleeve on his right arm, Alcaraz started the match energetically, securing an early break and maintaining the momentum to quickly lead 4-1. Despite a brief comeback from Shevchenko, Alcaraz secured the first set and continued to dominate in the second, achieving a comfortable win in just over an hour.

Alcaraz is set to play Thiago Seyboth Wild in the next round after the Brazilian upset Lorenzo Musetti with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

In other matches, Andrey Rublev broke a four-match losing streak with a solid 6-1, 6-4 victory over Facundo Bagnis, and Alexander Zverev, a previous Madrid Open winner, easily reached the third round by defeating Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2.

Aryna Sabalenka, on the other hand, faced a tougher challenge in her match, ultimately overcoming Magda Linette in a tense three-set battle. Linette, who has been performing well recently, pushed Sabalenka to the limit before the defending champion secured her place in the third round.