Madrid, Wrapped

Love-Love Letter #8 | May 2-4

Your tennis cheat sheet — for fans who like the game, but don’t want to live on Tennis Twitter.

🌍 Where in the World Are We?

The Madrid Open wrapped up this weekend, delivering thrilling finals and unexpected outcomes.
📌 What’s happening: Casper Ruud secured his first Masters 1000 title, defeating Jack Draper in a hard-fought final. Aryna Sabalenka claimed her third Madrid Open title, solidifying her status as a clay-court powerhouse.

Next up starting later this week: both the ATP and WTA are in Rome for the Italian Open (another 1000-level tournament). This is the last tune-up tournament prior to the French Open at the end of the month.

✅ Results You Should Know

Casper Ruud [14] def. Jack Draper [5] 7–5, 3–6, 6–4 (Final)
💡 Why it matters: Ruud’s been to Masters (and even three Grand Slam) finals before — and lost every time. This win wasn’t just a title; it was breaking a career-long ceiling.

Aryna Sabalenka [1] def. Coco Gauff [4] 6–3, 7–6(3) (WTA Final)
💡 Why it matters: Gauff had her best clay-court tournament to date… and it still wasn’t enough. Sabalenka’s hold on Madrid — and really all of women’s tennis at this point — is very, very strong.

🔥 Can’t-Miss Highlights

🎥 Draper and Ruud Both Dig Deep
Unbelievable backhand winner from Draper - but ultimately not enough as Ruud is relentless on match point.
▶️ Watch it here (start at 6:33, but watch through the end of the video)

🎥 Crazy Angle from Sabalenka
She dominated the second set tiebreak to take the tile with shots like this.
▶️ Watch it here (start at 3:55)

📆 What to Watch For

Italian Open: Action is live on Tennis Channel and Tennis TV. Coverage begins with the main draw matches on Wednesday, May 7 (though draws are not out just yet).

📰 Off-Court Happenings

Sinner’s Back: After a three-month doping suspension, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner returns to competition at the Italian Open. The ban, stemming from a positive test for clostebol attributed to a contaminated treatment, led to a negotiated settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sinner, who considered stepping away from tennis during the ordeal, is now set to play his first match in Rome this week.

Agassi’s Pickleball Debut: Andre Agassi, fresh off his 55th birthday, made his pro pickleball debut at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships — and won his first match alongside 18-year-old star Anna Leigh Waters. Turns out, that forehand still works.

👗 An Outfit Worth Seeing

Musetti’s All-White Moment
Lorenzo Musetti rocked an all-white ASICS x A.P.C. kit in Madrid — sleeveless, clean lines, low-key vintage vibes. Looked like he strolled straight from a Milan runway onto the clay.