Nadal, tickets, dates: 15 questions about the 2021 Madrid Open

What are the dates of the 2021 Madrid Open?

The 2021 edition of the Madrid Open is scheduled to be held from April 27 to May 9. The women’s main draw kicks off April 29 and runs through May 8, while the men’s main draw starts on May 2 and ends on May 9.

Also Read: Nadal’s rough road, Thiem and Medvedev return – the Men’s Madrid draw review

Also Read: Barty, Osaka, Halep and more: Breaking down the women’s draw in Madrid

The women’s singles final is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, while the men’s singles final will take place on Sunday, May 9 (timings for the finals will be announced closer to the date).

The #MMOPEN will be a two-week tournament since 2021!

The next season the #MMOPEN will take place from 27 April to 9 May!

— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) November 25, 2020

Where will the Madrid Open be held?

The Mutua Madrid Open, an ATP Masters 1000 and WTA Premier tournament, takes place in Madrid, Spain, on the courts of La Caja Mágica sports complex (also known as the “Magic Box”).

The stadium made completely from iron, wood and glass, was designed by French architect Dominique Perraul, and was inaugurated in 2009.

On which surface is the Madrid Open played?

Until 2009, the Madrid Open was played on hard courts, and was not a Masters 1000 event. Since 2009, it has been played on outdoor clay courts. It is the second clay-court ATP Masters 1000 of the season. It takes place after the Monte-Carlo Masters and just before Rome.

In 2012, the tournament was played on blue clay. The change was a controversial move with many players saying that the surface was too slippery. After that, all courts were reconstructed in 2012 ahead of the 2013 edition as the tournament returned to the usual red clay courts the following year.

With the venue being at 650 metres above sea level, the playing conditions at the tournament are much faster than other clay-court events, such as Monte-Carlo, Rome or Roland-Garros.

Which are the Madrid Open’s main courts?

The Caja Mágica complex has three courts with retractable roofs. The centre court, named after 4-time Grand Slam winner Manolo Santana, has 12,500 seats.

Court number 2, which can host 3,500 fans, is named after another Spanish Hall of Famer Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, while court number 3 can seat 2,500.

Many players have played inside La Caja Mágica at the @MutuaMadridOpen, but none have played on top of it 🤨

Until now 👀 pic.twitter.com/Pg78KQ8YRJ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 8, 2018

Who are the Madrid Open defending champions?

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was not held in 2020.

In 2019, world No 1 Novak Djokovic defeated Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 to capture his third Madrid Open crown. The Serb has pulled out of the 2021 edition.

Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens defeated Romania’s Simona Halep 6-4, 6-4 to win the women’s event.

In doubles, the pair of Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau won the men’s event defeating Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-3 while Su-wei Hsieh and Barbora Strycova won the women’s doubles event over Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan.

How many times has Rafael Nadal won the Madrid Open?

Rafael Nadal has won the men’s singles titles in Madrid five times – the most by any player in the history of the tournament. The Spaniard won the title in 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017.

Former world No 2 Petra Kvitova leads the count on the women’s side with three titles – 2011, 2015, and 2018.

In doubles, Mike Bryan, Bob Bryan and Daniel Nestor have won the title 5 times each on the men’s side, while Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci have won the women’s doubles title twice each.

Who were the previous winners of the Madrid Open?

In men’s singles, the winners of the Madrid Masters 1000 event over the past 10 editions have been :

• 2019 – Novak Djokovic
• 2018 – Alexander Zverev
• 2017 – Rafael Nadal
• 2016 – Novak Djokovic
• 2015 – Andy Murray
• 2014 – Rafael Nadal
• 2013 – Rafael Nadal
• 2012 – Roger Federer
• 2011 – Novak Djokovic
• 2010 – Rafael Nadal

In the women’s singles, the winners over the same period have been :

• 2019 – Kiki Bertens
• 2018 – Petra Kvitova
• 2017 – Simona Halep
• 2016 – Simona Halep
• 2015 – Petra Kvitova
• 2014 – Maria Sharapova
• 2013 – Serena Williams
• 2012 – Serena Williams
• 2011 – Petra Kvitova
• 2010 – Aravane Rezai

How many ranking points can players earn in Madrid?

For men, as for the other Masters 1000, ATP points are awarded as follow:

• Title: 1000 points
• Final: 600 points
• Semi-final: 360 points
• Quarter-final: 180 points
• Round of 16: 90 points
• 2nd round: 45 points
• 1st round: 25 points

For the women, WTA points for the WTA Premier tournament in Madrid are awarded as follows:

• Title: 1000 points
• Final: 650 points
• Semi-final: 390 points
• Quarter-final: 215 points
• Round of 16: 120 points
• 2nd round: 65 points
• 1st round: 10 points

What is the prize money for the Madrid Open in 2021?

Men’s Singles 

• Winner: €315,160
• Runner-up: €188,280
• Semi-final: €106,690
• Quarter-final: €58,370
• Round of 16: €36,400
• 2nd round: €22,720
• 1st round: €15,060

Women’s Singles – 

• Winner: €315,160
• Runner-up: €188,280
• Semi-final: €106,690
• Quarter-final: €58,370
• Round of 16: €34,048
• 2nd round: €20,00
• 1st round: €12,655

Will the tournament have fans?

According to recent interview by Gerard Tsobanian, president and CEO of the Madrid Masters, to ABC, the tournament will be played with 40 percent audience.

“We are working closely with public health (officials). It will be played with 40 percent audience, the allowed capacity that means for us 4,800 people per session each day in the Magic Box. It is a reduction of our capacity, of course, but it is necessary to ensure a safe event and that allows a totally suitable assembly.”

However, there could be last-minute changes (as seen in several events in recent months) that could make the tournament go behind closed doors.

Who is the Tournament Director of the Madrid Open?

Spanish tennis player Feliciano Lopez is the current Tournament Director of the Madrid Open. Lopez replaced former director Manolo Santana beginning with the 2019 edition.

The 39-year-old Lopez is still active on the men’s tour. The former world No 12 is currently 61st in the singles rankings.

Have any wild cards been granted for the tournament?

To date, wild cards have been awarded to veteran Fernando Verdasco and 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, both from Spain, for the men’s singles event.

In the women’s event, wild cards have been awarded to seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams, Spaniards Paula Badosa and Sara Sorribes Tormo, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea,  and 15-year-old Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva.

How do you buy tickets for the Madrid Open?

Tickets for the Madrid Masters 1000 and WTA Premier are available on the tournament website.

What is the draw size?

The men’s draw will feature 56 singles players and 28 doubles teams. Meanwhile, the women’s event will feature 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams.

The dates for the draw ceremony will be announced closer to the start date.

How can you watch the Madrid Open on TV?

Tennis Channel is the official broadcaster of the Madrid Masters 1000 in the United States. In France, you can watch the men’s tournament on Canal+, Eurosport. ESPN International is the official broadcaster in South America. Amazon Prime holds broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom. For other regions, you can check out the schedule on the ATP Tour website.

As per the WTA Tour website, WTA events are broadcast on the Tennis Channel in the United States, and beIN network in France.

Can I follow the Mutua Madrid Open on social media?

Yes, you can follow the Mutua Madrid Open on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.