MADRID/STARNBERG, April 13, 2025

The final of the VII Challenger Comunidad de Madrid por Mercedes-Benz Star Madrid began at 12:30 p.m. and concluded six hours later due to persistent rain, with Kamil Majchrzak eventually lifting the trophy. The 29-year-old from Poland defeated Croatian veteran Marin Cilic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Majchrzak took an early control by breaking Cilic’s serve. A mix of solid play from Majchrzak and unforced errors from the tournament’s No. 8 seed, especially on the backhand side and with some inconsistent serving, allowed the Polish to comfortably secure the first set 6-3 in just over 30 minutes.

The second set seemed destined for a tiebreak, but Cilic broke Majchrzak’s serve at 4-5, capitalizing on a key moment and taking the set 6-4, leveling the match.

At 2-2 in the final set, with Cilic holding a slight edge, light rain began to fall. The chair umpire allowed play to continue until the end of the fifth game, with Cilic leading 3-2 after nearly two hours of play. Then, a heavy downpour forced a long delay.

The match resumed close to 6:00 p.m., but not on the Center Court, which remained waterlogged, but rather on the adjacent Mercedes-Benz court. Despite trailing when play resumed, Majchrzak quickly turned things around, took the lead at 4-3, and closed out the set 6-4 in just 20 minutes, wrapping up the match in a total of two hours and 12 minutes.

¡Tenemos campeón en el Grand Prix by @StarMadridRetai Open Comunidad de Madrid!
Kamil Majchrzak vence a Marin Cilic por 6-3, 4-6 y 6-4 y se alza con el título en la tierra batida del @ccvmoficial | @ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/VPuKNCs3tv

— Federación de Tenis de Madrid (@fedetenismadrid) April 13, 2025

“I feel incredibly tired, both physically and mentally. Considering I played very late on Thursday, I’ve basically spent almost 48 hours straight at the club. It was a demanding situation, but I kept pushing myself to the limit, and I think that was the key to holding on and eventually lifting the trophy,” said Majchrzak.

“Sharing the court with Marin Cilic, a legend of tennis, is a privilege. Beating him in such a tough final and in a match that was also very important for him is a great feeling for me. I knew how difficult the match was going to be, so I had to play my best tennis.

I started the match really well, which was important to save energy. After the rain break, I was able to rest more. I managed to come out strong after the delay, I felt very good on court, and that was crucial in turning the match in my favor.”

By winning his eighth ATP Challenger Tour career title, his first of the season, Majchrzak claimed 100 ATP Ranking points as well as €20,630 in prize money. Majchrzak also added Poland to the growing list of nations represented in the tournament’s roll of honor. The Challenger Comunidad de Madrid has now crowned seven different champions from seven different countries in its seven editions – Czech Republic, France, Spain, Argentina, Russia, Italy, and now Poland.

Cilic, who hit 50 aces throughout the tournament, reached his second ATP Challenger 100 final in Spain within three weeks after Girona and left Madrid with 50 ATP Ranking points.