Having granted the first wildcard for the final draw to Paula Badosa, on Wednesday the Mutua Madrid Open confirmed a new invitation for the 2021 tournament, which will take place from 27 April to 9 May. Sara Sorribes will now form part of the line-up for the WTA 1000 tournament.

Sorribes is the second-highest ranked Spaniard in the WTA, second only to Garbiñe Muguruza, and she will be playing on the Madrid clay for the ninth time in her career. Her most notable appearance in the Caja Mágica came in 2019, where she came close to upsetting then world No. 1 Naomi Osaka in a three-set thriller.

“I have great memories of my last appearance in the Mutua Madrid Open. It’s a tournament I love playing in and I’m very happy to be able to play this year, thanks to this invitation”, said the Castellon native. “We rarely have the opportunity to play in Spain, so it’s extra motivating to play in the Caja Mágica, where I have felt the unconditional affection and support of the fans”.

“Sara Sorribes is in exceptional form and she has done more than enough to earn this invitation. Also, she has already produced some great matches in the Caja Mágica such as those she played against Madison Keys in 2018 and Naomi Osaka in 2019”, said Feliciano López, director of the Mutua Madrid Open.

The Spaniard is currently in the form of her life, having won her first WTA crown just two weeks ago in Guadalajara (Mexico). She also reached the semi-finals in Monterrey, while in the Miami WTA 1000 she reached the quarter finals. Her results mean she will break into the Top 50 on Monday.