Rublev ends Alcaraz’s Madrid reign, reaches semi-finals at Caja Magica

On the day after Rafael Nadal’s last match at the Madrid Open, Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t raise the hopes of the Spanish faithful inside the Caja Magica. The second-seeded Spaniard squandered a one-set lead and saw his 24-match winning streak on Spanish clay (since the start of 2022) go up in smoke as he fell to a determined Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. 

Bidding to become the first player to reach three consecutive Madrid semifinals since Dominic Thiem in 2019, world No 3 Alcaraz was met with furious pushback from eighth-ranked Rublev, who wrestled control of the match in the second set and refused to give it back in a decider that featured lights-out serving and two breaks of serve from Rublev in the first five games. 

It was only the 11th time that Alcaraz has lost a match from a set up in his career.

Rublev struck a total of 30 winners against 21 unforced errors, while Alcaraz managed 19 winners against 25 unforced.

Serving made the difference

It was a dazzling serving display from Rublev that helped him get over the line. He saved seven of eight break points and won 51 of 64 first-serve points overall. It was that type of serving that enabled him to keep Alcaraz at bay, and after the win he spoke of the importance of the stroke.

“The serve saved me a lot of times today, but I think the key is that it was one of the first matches that I was completely calm,” Rublev said. “All the match I didn’t say one word, even if I was losing, and I think that was the key, that allowed me to serve even better with time.”

Alcaraz confirmed that assessment:  

“His serve was unbelievable today,” the Spaniard said. “He brought me a few opportunities in the match to break his serve. I couldn’t make it. That was the key of the match. But I think his game was outstanding today.”

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Back on track

Rublev had gone winless in six weeks before he arrived at the Spanish capital, perhaps derailed by a controversial outburst in Dubai that led to his default at 6-5 in the third set of his semi-final against Alexander Bublik. But the Russian was a picture of calm on Wednesday as he closed his his dominant display in one hour and 59 minutes for his eighth career top 3 win.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said of his recent struggles. “Better not to think about it this way. It’s better to not think at all – that it’s not bad, not good, it’s just a moment, and it’s better to keep working to keep improving.”

Rublev captures his first career win against Alcaraz and earns his first top 3 victory since he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. The 26-year-old moves into his eighth career Masters 1000 final and will face either Taylor Fritz or Francisco Cerundolo next. 

Seventh-seeded Rublev improves to 9-3 lifetime at Madrid, and 19-8 for the season.

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