Match Report
Tsitsipas gets ‘in touch with the game’ to set Ruud showdown in Madrid
Defending champ Ruud has dropped just five games across two matches so far
April 27, 2026
David Ramos/Getty Images
Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrates his win against Daniel Merida on Monday at the Mutua Madrid Open.
By Andy West
Stefanos Tsitsipas cited a strong sense of on-court joy as one of the reasons behind his Monday march past Daniel Merida to the fourth round at the Mutua Madrid Open.
The former No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings ended hometown favourite Merida’s run with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the clay ATP Masters 1000 event. Tsitsipas, who is trying to rediscover his best form and work his way back up the rankings from his current position of World No. 80, converted three out of four break points he earned against Merida, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Feeling at home on the hallowed red dirt 🧱@stefanos becomes the fourth man to record 100 clay wins in this decade! @MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/AGDjHfIQHi
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 27, 2026
“When you are playing matches like that, where you are fighting and in a good mindset and constantly looking and searching for opportunities, you feel like the joy of the game on its own allows you to feel fulfilled already when you’re on the court,” the Greek said. “These types of moments, [regardless] of the actual result, I feel like they teach me a lot. They make me get in touch with the game.
“I really love the game when I get to discover tennis in such ways. Just hitting winners, missing a few times, but overall trying to take the most out of it. Seeing good rotation of my ball and seeing I can actually press and create some big shots, these are the types of moments that make me really enjoy the game.”
Tsitsipas has struggled with injury and confidence across the past 12 months, but the 12-time ATP Tour champion and 2019 Madrid finalist is now into the last 16 at a Masters 1000 event for the first time since he reached that stage at the 2025 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
“I think there was plenty to take from today,” the 27-year-old added. “I was solid. I was playing my game and applying a lot of pressure out on the court, so I’m just really joyful to see myself perform at such a high level. I wasn’t giving much, and that’s what made me a strong opponent today.”
With his 68-minute triumph against Merida, Tsitsipas became just the fourth man this decade to win 100 tour-level matches on clay. The man with the most match wins on that list, Casper Ruud, will be his fourth-round opponent in Madrid.
Most tour-level clay wins since the start of 2020
Ruud earlier raced past home favourite Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-1. The defending champion has dropped just five games in total so far this year in the Spanish capital, having dismantled Jaume Munar 6-0, 6-1 in his opening match.
Tuesday’s encounter between Ruud and Tsitsipas will be the pair’s first tour-level meeting since the 2024 Barcelona final. Ruud prevailed on that occasion, and the 12th-seeded Norwegian heads into the Madrid clash with a 3-2 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
