The best players on tour are starting to arrive at the Mutua Madrid Open. As the week draws to an end, just two days before the competition starts in the final draw, the main candidates for the title will start to grace the training courts at the clay ATP Masters 1000. Friday will see training sessions from Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem, two players who know what it is to play in a final in the Manolo Santana Stadium, as they prepare for their assaults on the title in the Spanish capital.
The Greek starts the tournament in fine fettle after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo and falling at the final hurdle in Barcelona. Tsitsipas arrives in Madrid having established himself as a man to fear on clay and after reaching the final on his last visit to the Caja Mágica (2019), the Athens native will be looking to demonstrate his authority at the event.
Tsitsipas completed two training sessions in Madrid on Friday. In the morning he shared the court with his brother Petros, whom he will pair up with in the doubles. Later in the day, the world No. 5 will be joined by US player Sebastian Korda, one of the most promising players on tour.
Thiem’s presence has always demanded respect in the Spanish capital. The Austrian has two finals under his belt at the Madrid ATP Masters 1000 (2017, 2018) and has become one of the most intimidating players of his era on the red stuff. In Madrid, the two-time French Open runner-up will play his first matches of the season on the surface, always a key moment in a player’s preparations.
Thiem will practise alone on the training courts in the afternoon, under the watchful eye of his coach Nicolás Massú, who has proved key in his arrival among the global elite. The Austrian is visiting the Caja Mágica as a Grand Slam champion for the first time.
The atmosphere on the banks of the Manzanares continues to build as the competition approaches and the stars in the ATP locker room are starting to appear on the courts as they prepare for an incredible week of tennis in the Spanish capital.
