Once again, Alex de Minaur finds himself carrying the Australian flag solo at a major ATP event. Before even stepping onto court at the Madrid Open, the world No. 7 was left as the last Australian man standing, with the rest of the country’s contingent crashing out early.
Despite being scheduled to kick off his campaign on Saturday against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, de Minaur is now the only Aussie remaining in the draw after Alexei Popyrin and Chris O’Connell suffered second-round exits on Friday.
Popyrin and O’Connell Fall in Madrid
Popyrin, the tournament’s 25th seed, was upset 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) by the unpredictable Alexander Bublik, who was in vintage form inside the Caja Mágica. Despite a second-set resurgence that saw Popyrin lead 3-0 and earn three set points, he couldn’t close it out, with Bublik holding firm and sealing the match in under two hours.
O’Connell had little joy in his clash with world No. 4 Taylor Fritz, who looked sharp and unaffected by earlier abdominal issues. The US Open finalist needed just 75 minutes to win 6-1, 6-4, firing 22 winners past the outgunned Sydneysider.
De Minaur’s Solo Mission Begins
With those losses, de Minaur becomes the sole Australian hope yet again. On Saturday, he’ll meet Sonego, ranked 43rd in the world, on the Manolo Santana Stadium. The Aussie holds a perfect 3-0 record over the Italian.
Elsewhere on Thursday, top seed Alexander Zverev continued his strong form with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, extending his win streak to six matches following his triumph in Munich. “This is my favorite center court in the world,” said Zverev. “I’ve only lost here twice—I hope that stays the same.”
Also advancing was Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, who secured his first win since capturing the Miami Open title last month by defeating Ethan Quinn 7-6 (7-4), 6-1. He’ll next face 12th seed Ben Shelton, who edged past Mariano Navone in a three-set battle.
Casper Ruud beat France’s Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4, while Daniil Medvedev progressed to the third round after Laslo Djere withdrew due to a shoulder injury.
Double Blow for Aussies as Vukic and Hijikata Crash Out in Madrid
By Ian Chadband | April 24, 2025
Thursday brought more disappointment for the Australian contingent as Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata both fell in their opening matches at the Madrid Open, ending their campaigns in frustrating fashion.
Vukic was outlasted in three sets by Japanese veteran Kei Nishikori, who earned his 450th career tour-level win with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory. “I didn’t know it was my 450th win,” said the 35-year-old. “Hopefully, I can reach 500.”
Vukic, now on a 10-match losing streak, hasn’t won a match since January’s Davis Cup victory over Leo Borg and has lost his last eight matches in deciding sets.
Hijikata fared little better, falling 7-5, 7-5 to 211cm American Reilly Opelka, whose power game proved too much. It marked the 22-year-old Aussie’s fourth straight defeat in just over a month.
Alcaraz Withdrawal Dampens Madrid Spirits
The tournament also suffered a blow with the withdrawal of home hero Carlos Alcaraz, who pulled out to avoid aggravating a leg muscle injury sustained during last week’s Barcelona Open final.
“You have to listen to your body sometimes,” said the two-time Madrid champion. “I’ll be back stronger.”
In Alcaraz’s absence, the spotlight turned to rising Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, who lived up to the hype with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 win over Elmer Moller. He’ll now face 11th seed Tommy Paul in the second round.
