Zverev and Sabalenka Cruise Through Opening Matches at Madrid Open

Oh boy, so guess what happened in Madrid? We’re talking tennis. Top seeds—those big names everyone whispers about—Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka kicked off their matches like they owned the place. Zverev kind of breezed past Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-2, 6-2, and Sabalenka went ahead and showed Anna Blinkova the same kind of love, 6-3, 6-4.

Zverev’s a bit of a legend in these parts, having won here in 2018 and 2021. This dude just needed 69 minutes to, you know, do his thing. Apparently, the courts are his happy place. Maybe it’s the altitude, or maybe the clay just vibes with him. He’s got his eyes on Nuno Borges or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina next.

And Sabalenka? She’s been here, done that—caught the big win in 2021 and 2023. Maybe she’s got a date with Elise Mertens waiting. It’s like there’s a pattern, but who’s really keeping track?

On the flip side, Anastasia Potapova turned the tables on Qinwen Zheng, and hey, Amanda Anisimova didn’t have the smoothest ride against Peyton Stearns—ended up losing there. Jasmine Paolini cruised past Katie Boulter without breaking a sweat, or maybe she did, who knows with tennis players.

Jessica Pegula’s doing her thing too, beating Eva Lys. She’s been playing like she means it—27 wins and counting. Moyuka Uchijima’s up next for her, and that might just be a match worth catching.

Taylor Fritz, back from some sort of injury hiatus, showed no mercy to Christopher O’Connell. It’s like he’s making up for lost time or something. Ben Shelton got a little dramatic with Mariano Navone but pulled through. Always something to keep you on the edge of the seat, right? Juan Manuel Cerundolo toppled Felix Auger-Aliassime, while Medvedev got a free pass thanks to Laslo Djere’s shoulder woes.

And wait—there’s more. Gael Monfils, who’s apparently the oldest winner ever for this tournament, had to sit out his match with Andrey Rublev. Something about an illness. But, plot twist: Holger had to call it quits due to a thigh injury. The tennis gods must be shaking things up!

Anyway, I better wrap this up before I ramble on too long. This tournament’s got stories unfolding at every corner, and who knows what’s next. Keep watching if you dare! Or, you know, catch the highlights later.