PREVIEW | ATP Madrid Open 2025 - Saturday, April 26: Djokovic takes to the court, Fonseca wants to continue advancing
ATP
The Mutua Madrid Open 2025 continues and the Caja Mágica is preparing for many exciting duels on the fourth day of competition. Novak Djokovic will make his debut against Italian Matteo Arnaldi, looking to improve on what he did in Monte Carlo, where he bowed out in the first round. Joao Fonseca goes for his second victory in the tournament.
The second clay-court Masters 1000 of the season begins its fourth day full of action. Here are the highlights of the day's matches, with several top players taking to the court to fight for a place in the next round.
Alex de Minaur - Lorenzo Sonego: The Aussie demon wants to keep winning
Alex de Miñaur arrives in the Spanish capital with high expectations, based on his level of play throughout this European clay-court tour. The current world number 7 has been in fine form since his arrival in the Principality, where he reached the semifinals, losing to Lorenzo Musetti. At the Barcelona Open it was Alcaraz who stopped him in a tight quarter-final. The Australian is on a roll, winning 4 of his last 6 matches; he has made a good preparation and is a candidate;
He will face Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who defeated Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round and always plays well on clay;
The history and the present of both players puts De Miñaur as a great favorite, having defeated Sonego the three times they have met before.
Match Info:
Alex de Minaur - Lorenzo Sonego
Start time (local): Sat, 26 Apr, 12:10 PM
Start time (your time): Sat, 26 Apr, 6:10 PM
Court: Manolo Santana Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 64
Head-to-Head
| de Minaur | Sonego | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 3 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 3 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 7 | 43 |
| Race Ranking | 5 | 38 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 7 | 43 |
| Live Race Ranking | 5 | 37 (+1) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 26 (17 Feb 1999) | 29 (11 May 1995) |
| Birthplace | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Turin, Italy |
| Residence | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,Alicante, Valencia, Spain | - |
| Height | 6'0" (183cm) | 6'3" (191cm) |
| Weight | 152lbs (69kg) | 168lbs (76kg) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro | 2015 | 2013 |
| Coach | Adolfo Gutierrez, Peter Luczak | Gipo Arbino (2006-2024), Fabio Colangelo (2024-present) |
| YTD W/L | 21-8 (72%) | 8-10 (44%) |
| YTD Titles | - | - |
| Career Titles | 9 | 4 |
| Prize Money | US $16,435,900 | US$6,912,686 |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
A de Minaur d L Sonego ATP Eastbourne - Round of 167-6 | 6-2 22 Jun 2022 |
||
|
A de Minaur d L Sonego ATP Eastbourne - Final4-6 | 6-4 | 7-6 26 Jun 2021 |
||
|
A de Minaur d L Sonego ATP Paris - Round of 326-3 | 7-5 4 Nov 2020 |
||
Novak Djokovic - Matteo Arnaldi: The Serb is looking for strength for the future
Novak Djokovic makes his eagerly awaited debut in the Caja Mágica against Italian Matteo Arnaldi, in what will be the first meeting between the two on the professional circuit. The former world No. 1 arrives with question marks over his form after a surprise first-round exit in Monte Carlo against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo.
It is an unknown how the Serb arrives, although he himself took it upon himself to remove himself from the list of candidates for the title: "I have always played good tennis in Madrid, but I have not had great results in recent years," said Djokovic at a press conference. "Now I'm focused on reaching the level I want to reach, especially for Roland Garros. I don't have big expectations here, to be honest. We'll see."
Despite Djoker's words at his pre-debut press conference, no one will dare to think that he can't win again in Madrid, especially with Sinner and Alcaraz out.
Arnaldi defeated Borna Coric in a three-set match to earn his right to play against Nole. He has not fared well on clay as he bowed out in his debut in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
Match Info:
Matteo Arnaldi - Novak Djokovic
Start time (local): Sat, 26 Apr, 3:30 PM
Start time (your time): Sat, 26 Apr, 9:30 PM
Court: Manolo Santana Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 64
Head-to-Head
| Arnaldi | Djokovic | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 0 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 0 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 44 | 5 |
| Race Ranking | 68 | 6 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 45 (-1) | 5 |
| Live Race Ranking | 64 (+4) | 6 |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 24 (22 Feb 2001) | 37 (22 May 1987) |
| Birthplace | Sanremo, Italy | Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Residence | - | Belgrade, Serbia,Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Height | - | 6'2" (188cm) |
| Weight | - | 170lbs (77kg) |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Turned Pro | - | 2003 |
| Coach | Alessandro Petrone | Andy Murray |
| YTD W/L | 8-9 (47%) | 11-5 (69%) |
| YTD Titles | - | - |
| Career Titles | 0 | 99 (3rd in the Open Era) |
| Prize Money | $3,136,267 | US $186,933,983 - 1st all-time in earnings |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
First meeting |
||
Joao Fonseca - Tommy Paul
The young Brazilian tennis star returns to the big stage in Madrid, looking to climb the rankings and gain confidence ahead of Roland Garros. His style of play, characterized by a devastating forehand, benefits more on the fast courts, although like all South Americans, Joao has grown up playing on clay. His only ATP title was won this year in Buenos Aires, precisely when he dominated on clay.
In the first round he defeated Denmark's Elmer Moller and considering his record, the 18-year-old has a good chance of moving on.
His opponent will be the American Tommy Paul, who was great at the Australian Open 2025, reaching the quarterfinals, but after that he faded. He made the semifinals in Houston, also on clay, but he has a very complicated crossing to move forward in the Madrid tournament. It will be the first meeting between the two.
Match Info:
Joao Fonseca - Tommy Paul
Start time (local): Sat, 26 Apr, 9:10 PM
Start time (your time): Sun, 27 Apr, 3:10 AM
Court: Manolo Santana Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 64
Head-to-Head
| Fonseca | Paul | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 0 | 0 |
| Win Streak | 0 | 0 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 65 | 12 |
| Race Ranking | 28 | 14 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 64 (+1) | 11 (+1) |
| Live Race Ranking | 28 | 15 (-1) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 18 (21 Aug 2006) | 27 (17 May 1997) |
| Height | - | 6'0" (185cm) |
| Weight | - | 181lbs (82kg) |
| Plays | Right | Right |
| Turned Pro | - | 2015 |
| YTD W/L | 21-5 (81%) | 15-6 (71%) |
| YTD Titles | 3 | - |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
First meeting |
||
Jack Draper - Tallon Griekspoor: Indian Wells champion among the stars to follow
Jack Draper continues his ascent in world tennis and will be one of the outstanding stars at the Madrid Masters. The British left-hander has significantly improved his game on clay and has been showing a level that places him among the new stars of the circuit, behind Alcaraz and Holger Rune. His spin-loaded forehand is possibly his greatest virtue and on slow courts he is a real problem for the player in front of him;
Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor has shown that he is ready to beat anyone in 2025, beating stars like Zverev and Medvedev. He is a player who leaves everything on the court and sells his defeat at a high price.
They played against each other only once, with Griekspoor winning at the Winston Salem ATP in 2023.
Match Info:
Jack Draper - Tallon Griekspoor
Start time (local): Sat, 26 Apr, 7:00 PM
Start time (your time): Sun, 27 Apr, 1:00 AM
Court: Arantxa Sanchez Stadium
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: Round of 64
Head-to-Head
| Draper | Griekspoor | |
|---|---|---|
| H2H Record | ||
| Total Wins | 0 | 1 |
| Win Streak | 0 | 1 |
| Ranking | ||
| Official Ranking | 6 | 34 |
| Race Ranking | 4 | 23 |
| Live Ranking | ||
| Live Ranking | 6 | 34 |
| Live Race Ranking | 4 | 24 (-1) |
| Bios | ||
| Age | 23 (22 Dec 2001) | 28 (2 Jul 1996) |
| Birthplace | London, England, UK | Haarlem, Netherlands |
| Residence | London, England, UK | Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands |
| Height | 6'2" (188cm) | 6'2" (188cm) |
| Weight | 165lbs (75kg) | 181lbs (82kg) |
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Coach | James Trotman (2021–present) | Kristof Vliegen |
| YTD W/L | 14-3 (82%) | 17-9 (65%) |
| YTD Titles | 1 | - |
| Career Titles | 3 | 2 |
| Prize Money | US $6,690,349 | US $5,679,729 |
| Past Meetings | ||
|
T Griekspoor d J Draper ATP Winston Salem - Round of 327-6 22 Aug 2023 |
||
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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.
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