MADRID/WASHINGTON, April 26, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
The look on the face of Stefanos Tsitsipas after he wrapped up his fast and furious second-round victory over World No. 11 Alexander Bublik to advance in the Mutua Madrid Open draw spoke volumes.
While there was a look of relief, there also was the look of hope for the 27-year-old former World No. 3, whose current ranking has slipped to No. 80 for the second ATP Masters 1000 event on European clay this spring. Tsitsipas was a 2019 finalist on Manolo Santana Stadium; it’s the same venue he beat Bublik on Saturday night.
When the unseeded Tsitsipas secured his fast-paced 6-2, 7-5 victory over the No. 8 seed Bublik for his 13th triumph of the season in 22 matches, it was the first time since his quarterfinal run at Barcelona last year that he had posted back-to-back wins on clay.
¡Un gran renacimiento! 🙌🏻
🇬🇷 @stefanos supera a Bublik 6-2, 7-5 y será el rival de Mérida en la tercera ronda del #MMOPEN. @atptour | @ATPTour_ES pic.twitter.com/0LrHNbXKHH
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 25, 2026
On Thursday, Tsitsipas came from behind to win his first-round match over 90th-ranked American lucky loser Patrick Kypson, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4). It was just the second time this year he had come back to gain a victory after losing the first set. The Greek star seems determined to make the most of his time in Madrid, where he’s compiled a 14-7 lifetime win-loss record at Caja Magica.
With his victory over Bublik, it marked the fourth Top-20 win of the season after defeating No. 9 Taylor Fritz at the United Cup in January, No. 11 Daniil Medvedev in the second round at Doha in February and No. 6 Alex de Minaur in the second round of the Miami Open last month.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2026 against top 11 players:
✅ Defeats #9 Taylor Fritz in straight sets
✅ Defeats #11 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets
✅ Defeats #6 Alex de Minaur in straight sets
✅ Defeats #11 Alexander Bublik in straight sets@stefanos #MMOpen pic.twitter.com/Afop5Sp8ht— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 25, 2026
Last year, Tsitsipas went 0-5 against Top 20 players and finished an abbreviated 2025 campaign with a 20-16 win-loss record. He shut down his season early after a disappointing second-round, five-set loss to Daniel Altmaier of Germany at the US Open last August due to a persistent and serious low back injury that caused him to even consider the idea of retirement from the sport.
The injury, which caused Tsitsipas pain for more than six months and led to a retirement at Wimbledon, ultimately caused him to plummet in the ATP Rankings, falling outside the Top 30. As he began a period of rehabilitation off the ATP Tour, Tsitsipas finished 2025 at his lowest ranking since 2017.
During his on-court interview following the Bublik win, Tsitsipas was asked what he did particularly well in dealing with the unpredictability of playing Bublik. “I kind of felt like he wanted to rush points, keep points short. So, my goal really was to stay in those rallies as much as I could, to extend each and every rally and every point that I got to play,” he said.
“I wanted to make [the match] really physical. I was out here to stay; I was out here to spend the hours [in order to win].”
Tsitsipas MASTERCLASS 🇬🇷@stefanos dispatches Bublik 6-2 7-5 to reach R3 in Madrid!#MMOpen pic.twitter.com/4OOLZrS0hA
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 25, 2026
Statistically speaking, Tsitsipas looked sharp against Bublik. He fired 10 aces and hit 22 winners overall while yielding only 11 unforced errors. He won 94 percent (33 of 35) of his first-serve points, dropping just two points on his first serve. Tsitsipas, who faced no break points, converted three of five chances against Bublik and outpointed the 28-year-old Russian born Kazakh 69-46.
“I held my serve a lot today,” said Tsitsipas, who attributed his success to the high altitude, which benefited him. “Once I was finding my spots, it opened up well for a good first shot after the serve. It’s all about the spots, all about trying to find the serve as close to the corners of the court. Pace is kind of overrated. It’s important to keep a good speed [on the serve], but placement was key.
“I did a lot of work today. I feel like my returns – especially on the second serves – I was able to apply pressure on his second serves. That opened up a whole door that allowed me to explore more and loosened up my serve a little bit more. I knew I had big-shots coming on the second-serve opportunities. Each element opened up the other one.”
Blooming… 🌺🇬🇷☺️@stefanos | @atptour | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/KZQduLKuzS
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 25, 2026
Looking back, Tsitsipas’s win over Bublik was a confidence builder that gives him momentum going forward. “I am chasing these kinds of wins. These kinds of wins are important,” he said. “Players like [Bublik] have had a much more consistent season than I have had. So, I’m looking at it with a lot of humility. I want to approach each and every match with a lot of energy regardless of my opponent on the other side of the court.”
Next, Tsitsipas will face surprising 21-year-old qualifier Daniel Merida of Spain, ranked No. 102, on Monday. Merida is one of three Spaniards remaining in the Madrid Open draw, along with 42nd-ranked 19-year-old teenage sensation Rafael Jodar and No. 20 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the senior of the Spanish trio at age 24.
The bottom-line accord to Tsitsipas is simple. “I’m just hoping to build from this win onward and apply my biggest [positives] each and every day on the court,” he said.
