PREVIEW | ATP Madrid Open 2025 Day 1: Gael Monfils, Fognini and Mpetshi Perricard all open tournaments
ATP
The Madrid Open 2025 raises its curtain this Wednesday, April 23 at the imposing Caja Mágica. The prestigious Spanish tournament will run until May 4, and comes with a star-studded line-up that includes Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic. On the first day, veterans Gael Monfils and Fabio Fognini will make their debut.
Everything is now ready for the main draw action to begin in the Caja Mágica. With most of the stars waiting to make their debut, some big names will be making their debut on the Spanish capital's clay this Wednesday.
The ties promise to be exciting and in some cases will define the next opponents of the top-ranked players. Below we take a look at the best matches of the opening day of the Madrid Open.
Mariano Navone vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: Duel of styles in the debut
Argentina's Mariano Navone (n°85) and France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (n°37) will be the protagonists of this interesting duel at the beginning of the day;
The Frenchman has suffered a steep fall in the rankings after positioning himself as the man to watch at the end of last season. With a 3-7 record in his last 10 matches, the powerful serve man will try to reverse this streak and pick up where he left off in Brisbane, where he reached the semifinals.
Navone is not in the best shape either, as the South American has fallen short of what he has done in 2024 so far, dragging a 9-12 record in 2025, passing through the South American clay court tour without much fanfare.
They met only once at the Lima Challenger in 2022, with victory for the Frenchman. For his conditions, Mpetshi Perricard could take advantage of the surface in the Caja Magica, a little faster than normal clay. The winner of the match will play against the new finalist of the Munich Open, Ben Shelton.
Match Info:
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard - Mariano Navone
Start time (local): Wed, 23 Apr, 11:00 AM
Start time (your time): Wed, 23 Apr, 5:00 PM
Court: Arantxa Sanchez Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 128
Head-to-Head
| Mpetshi Perricard | Navone | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 1 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 1 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 37 | 85 |
| Race Ranking | 99 | 73 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 35 (+2) | 101 (-16) |
| Live Race Ranking | 101 (-2) | 72 (+1) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 21 (8 Jul 2003) | 24 (27 Feb 2001) |
| Birthplace | Lyon, France | Nueve de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | Emmanuel Planque | Andrés Dellatorre |
| YTD W/L | 4-7 (36%) | 11-11 (50%) |
| YTD Titles | - | - |
| Career Titles | 2 | 0 |
| Prize Money | US $2,018,832 | US $1,468,511 |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
G Mpetshi Perricard d M Navone ATP Challenger Lima 2 - Qualification1-6 | 6-2 | 6-3 24 Oct 2022 |
||
Roberto Bautista Agut - Jaume Munar: Local clash under the gaze of Zverev
Roberto Bautista and Jaume Munar have had the misfortune of being drawn against each other in the Madrid Open draw;
Munar arrives with some irregularity to this season of slow courts, after an excellent victory against Medvedev in Miami, his highest point of the season. Bautista on the other hand will try to make his experience count and earn the opportunity to continue playing in front of his home crowd in the next round;
The winner of this match will face the world number 2 and current Munich champion, Alexander Zverev.
Munar holds a 2-1 edge in the head-to-head record, with his last win coming in the first round at Roland Garros last year.
Match Info:
Roberto Bautista Agut - Jaume Munar
Start time (local): Wed, 23 Apr, 1:20 PM
Start time (your time): Wed, 23 Apr, 7:20 PM
Court: Manolo Santana Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 128
Head-to-Head
| Bautista Agut | Munar | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 2 | 1 |
| Win Streak | 0 | 1 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 55 | 53 |
| Race Ranking | 143 | 48 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 56 (-1) | 62 (-9) |
| Live Race Ranking | 138 (+5) | 48 |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 37 (14 Apr 1988) | 27 (5 May 1997) |
| Birthplace | Castellón de la Plana, Spain | Santanyí, Spain |
| Residence | Castellón de la Plana, Spain | Barcelona, Spain |
| Height | 6'0" (183cm) | 6'0" (183cm) |
| Weight | 165lbs (75kg) | 168lbs (76kg) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right-handed,(two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro | 2005 | 2014 |
| Coach | Félix Mantilla,, Daniel Gimeno Traver (2022–), Pepe Vendrell (2011–2021, 2023–) | Javier Fernandez, Miguel Sanchez |
| YTD W/L | 3-10 (23%) | 9-9 (50%) |
| YTD Titles | - | - |
| Career Titles | 12 | 0 |
| Prize Money | US $18,623,591 - 37th all-time leader in earnings | US $5,081,024 |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
J Munar d R Bautista Agut French Open - Round of 1286-1 | 4-6 | 6-4 | 6-1 28 May 2024 |
||
|
R Bautista Agut d J Munar ATP Gstaad - Round of 167-6 | 6-4 25 Jul 2019 |
||
|
R Bautista Agut d J Munar ATP Gstaad - Round of 162-6 | 6-3 | 6-2 25 Jul 2018 |
||
Pedro Martínez - Franco Comesaña: Argentina vs Spain with Fils awaiting
Franco Comesaña, ranked No. 70 in the world, will face the experienced Martinez (No. 48) for a place in the next round.
Comesaña has improved his level, moving up in the ranking. Martinez on the other hand will try to use the crowd factor to win the match. Arthur Fils, of great present in this part of the Tour, is waiting for the winner of this match.
Match Info:
Francisco Comesana - Pedro Martinez
Start time (local): Wed, 23 Apr, 3:20 PM
Start time (your time): Wed, 23 Apr, 9:20 PM
Court: Arantxa Sanchez Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 128
Head-to-Head
| Comesana | Martinez | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 0 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 0 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 70 | 48 |
| Race Ranking | 47 | 51 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 70 | 49 (-1) |
| Live Race Ranking | 47 | 51 |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 24 (6 Oct 2000) | 27 (26 Apr 1997) |
| Birthplace | Mar del Plata, Argentina | - |
| Residence | Buenos Aires, Argentina | - |
| Height | - | 6'0" (185cm) |
| Weight | - | 168lbs (76kg) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right |
| Turned Pro | - | 2016 |
| Coach | Sebastián Gutiérrez | - |
| YTD W/L | 15-11 (58%) | 8-12 (40%) |
| YTD Titles | - | - |
| Career Titles | 0 | - |
| Prize Money | US $1,044,372 | - |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
First meeting |
||
Nuno Borges - Pablo Carreño Busta: Will the Portuguese's streak continue?
Nuno Borges, ranked 41st in the ranking, will face another local credit in his presentation in Madrid, Pablo Carreño;
Borges has a 14-11 record in 2025 and is coming off a third-round finish in Monte Carlo.
Carreño is looking for continuity in the season and to improve his performance, which records only 3 wins and 6 losses this season;
Another Spaniard will be watching the match closely, Alexander Davidovich Fokina. The semifinalist in the Principality will play the winner.
Match Info:
Nuno Borges - Pablo Carreno Busta
Start time (local): Wed, 23 Apr, 12:10 PM
Start time (your time): Wed, 23 Apr, 6:10 PM
Court: Manolo Santana Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 128
Head-to-Head
| Borges | Carreno Busta | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 0 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 0 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 41 | 96 |
| Race Ranking | 36 | 70 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 41 | 96 |
| Live Race Ranking | 36 | 73 (-3) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 28 (19 Feb 1997) | 33 (12 Jul 1991) |
| Birthplace | - | Gijón, Spain |
| Residence | - | Barcelona, Spain |
| Height | 6'0" (185cm) | 6'2" (188cm) |
| Weight | 165lbs (75kg) | 172lbs (78kg) |
| Plays | Right | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro | - | 2009 |
| Coach | - | Samuel López (2015-2024), César Fábregas (2015-2024), Víctor López Morón (2024-) |
| YTD W/L | 14-12 (54%) | 17-10 (63%) |
| YTD Titles | - | 2 |
| Career Titles | - | 7 |
| Prize Money | - | US $16,017,669 - 48th all-time leader in earnings |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
First meeting |
||
Other highlights:
Fabio Fognini - Laslo Djere
The 37-year-old veteran, Fabio Fognini, will face Serbian Laslo Djere, who has alternated good and bad during the season, his high point being the South American tour, reaching the semis in Buenos Aires and the title in Santiago de Chile.
The Italian remains a dangerous player despite his current ranking (n°113) and knows what it is to win a Masters on clay, as he was champion in Monte Carlo 2019.
The winner will have the opportunity to face Daniil Medvedev, who is going through a moment of doubt in his career, coming out of the top 10 after 5 years and unable to make a foothold in the Tour, falling many times in the first rounds of tournaments.
Gael Monfils - Borna Gojo
Gael Monfils is having a very solid season in 2025, with 15 wins and only 6 losses. Monfils has been able to defeat top players and remains a fearsome opponent on any surface, especially on clay thanks to his mobility and variety of strokes.
The Frenchman, former world No. 6, faces Croatian Borna Gojo. The 38-year-old veteran has a great chance of winning given his great present, although the reward will be to face the defending champion in the second round, Andrey Rublev.
Fabian Maroszan - Flavio Cobolli
Fabian Maroszan and Italy's Flavio Cobolli face off to decide who will have to dance with the ugliest, as Denmark's Holger Rune awaits in the second round.
The Hungarian has had his moments in the season and in Munich he went deep into the event, losing only in the semifinals to Zverev, the eventual champion of the tournament.
Cobolli broke into the top 30 after a very good campaign in 2024, but since then he has not been able to settle down. After losing 9 consecutive matches after Melbourne, Cobolli was back to his best in Bucharest, where he was champion.
These matches complement an opening day at the Caja Mágica that promises intensity and quality from the very first point. There are many generational duels, with veterans of a thousand battles looking to reaffirm their level and young talents who want to make the big leap on one of the most attractive stages of the Tour.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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