Madrid, Spain – April 24, 2026 – The 2026 Mutua Madrid Open has seen another high-profile withdrawal, with American Madison Keys, ranked World No. 17, pulling out of the tournament due to illness. This development comes as a blow to the WTA 1000 event, as Keys joins Amanda Anisimova and Ekaterina Alexandrova on the list of seeded players forced to withdraw.
Lucky loser Anastasia Potapova has been drafted into Keys's quarter of the draw. Potapova, who had been waiting for an opportunity, seized the moment by defeating Zhang Shuai in the second round with a decisive 6-3, 6-1 victory. "It was actually unexpected because I've been waiting for three days before and nothing happened," Potapova shared with wtatennis.com after her match. "Also the last three days, I didn't really prepare myself to play a match. I didn't warm up, I didn't do any practices, so today was the first morning when I went early to the stadium..."
The Madrid Open has been a stage for significant matchups, with other top players like Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula scheduled to compete in their second-round matches. Meanwhile, in other tournament news, Iga Swiatek advanced smoothly in her opening match, needing just 61 minutes to defeat Daria Snigur, while Anna Bondar achieved her first career Top 10 win by upsetting Elina Svitolina.
On the men's side, the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid is also underway, with predictions and best bets being analyzed for upcoming second-round matches. Stefanos Tsitsipas is looking to regain his top form at the event, aiming to overcome a challenging period in his career.
The withdrawal of Keys, a significant contender, highlights the challenges players face with health and consistency on the demanding clay-court swing. Fans will be watching to see how Potapova utilizes this unexpected opportunity in the Madrid draw.