Mutua Madrid Open: Bencic, Raducanu, and Sakkari Win 1st Round Matches

It is the second day of WTA Round 1 action at the Mutua Madrid Open.  There were big winners on the day, and a former champion lost.

1. Belinda Bencic over Zeynep Sonmez

Belinda Bencic dropped just two games (6-0, 6-2) in her match (against qualifier Zeynep Sonmez from Turkey.  It was an extra special day for Bencic as she celebrated her daughter Bella’s first birthday.  The 2019 Madrid Open semifinalist is known more for her grass-court and hard-court accomplishments, but her quick ascent since returning from maternity leave has been extraordinary.  Belinda Bencic will have a short turnaround; she faces Clara Tauson on Thursday in the next round.

2. Emma Raducanu over Suzan Lamens

Emma Raducanu fought through a competitive match against Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands.  The final score was 7-6, 6-4.  Raducanu has a tough second-round match against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk on Friday.  The two met in the second round of the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open, with Raducanu the victor.

3. Maria Sakkari over Xinyu Wang

In her first tournament back after reuniting with her former coach Tom Hill, Maria Sakkari guts out a big win over Xinyu Wang, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7). Sakkari has battled injury and loss of form in the past six months.  She has dropped out of the Top 50, but wins like this will help her rebuild her ranking and confidence.  Sakkari faces Magda Linette in the second round on Friday.

Petra Kvitova, a 3-time Mutua Madrid Open champion, loses

Petra Kvitova reed the WTA Tour this spring after spending 2024 on maternity leave.  It has been a struggle for her to get consistent match play as she is losing early in the tournaments.  Her struggles are similar to Naomi Osaka‘s after becoming a mom, but Kvitova hoped Madrid would be a turning point as she is a three-time champion.  She won four games in her straight-set loss to American Katie Volynets, 4-6, 0-6.