A massive power outage unexpectedly halted play at the Mutua Madrid Open on a recent Monday afternoon, affecting numerous matches and disrupting the tournament schedule. However, Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff were among the few players who managed to complete their matches and secure their spots in the quarterfinals before the widespread disruption took full effect.
Mirra Andreeva was serving to close out her match when the power failed. “It was 15-40 on my serve,” Andreeva recounted to reporters afterward. “I thought, `Oh, Mirra, please – please – do everything you can to win this game and end the match.` I knew if it went to 5-5, we would likely face a long delay and I`d still be here.”
Coco Gauff had already defeated Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-2 and was giving her on-court interview when her microphone died. Security personnel quickly escorted her back to the players` lounge amidst the sudden darkness.
“It was completely dark, and I quickly understood the power was gone,” Gauff said. “I initially thought it was just our area, but then I realized it was affecting the entire country – which is unbelievable.”
It soon became apparent the outage was not limited to Spain but had impacted large parts of Europe, affecting millions. Early reports suggested issues with the European electrical grid as the cause.
As a result of finishing their matches just in time, Andreeva (who defeated Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-1, 6-4 with the chair umpire calling lines manually due to the power loss) and Gauff were the only players to advance to the quarterfinals on schedule. They are now set to play against each other later in the week.
Reflecting on her upcoming match against Gauff, Andreeva commented, “The last time I played her on clay was at Roland Garros in 2023. The first set was competitive, but the rest of the match was difficult; she didn`t give me a chance. That was last year, though, so I`m really eager to see how my game is different now. I expect it to be an exciting match.”
Andreeva has now reached the Madrid quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. “This year, I aim to go further,” she stated. “I will do my absolute best to win.”
Despite the significant disruption outside the venue, which saw internet, train systems, and airports affected, the unexpected situation fostered a sense of camaraderie among the players who shared the experience.
“Everyone was using their phones for flashlights,” Andreeva shared, “but it was also quite enjoyable because everyone was talking together, creating a friendlier atmosphere.”
Gauff agreed, saying, “I was thinking the exact same thing. Usually, players are very focused on preparing for their matches, everybody`s in their zone, which we all understand. But I was talking with Frances [Tiafoe], Mirra, Diana [Shnaider], Maddy [Keys].” She added, “This kind of situation is light-hearted; nobody knows when they`ll be back on court.”
Andreeva described the blackout as a first for her. “It`s actually a bit exciting because I`ve never experienced anything like this. I`m incredibly happy that I was scheduled first so I could complete everything on time.” However, she added, “I don`t want to spend the night here and sleep in the gym, but we`ll wait to hear what they decide and proceed from there.”
Not every player was as fortunate. Grigor Dimitrov`s match against qualifier Jacob Fearnley in Manolo Santana Stadium was suspended while Dimitrov was serving for the match.
“That`s tennis, that`s life,” Gauff remarked about the interruption. “At this point, it`s something you can only laugh at, especially if I had still been on court. It`s probably a one-time event that won`t happen again, and we`ll always remember the day the power went out at the Madrid Open.”
Gauff mentioned that on Sunday, she had actually requested her match be scheduled second in the order of play. “But I`m glad that request wasn`t fulfilled,” she said with a laugh, adding, “Big thanks to the WTA supervisors for making the right call for me in this instance.”
She joked that the most immediate challenge was being unable to take a post-match shower. “There was no running water, so I just had to use baby wipes,” Gauff explained, “and then spray some perfume and call it done for the day. I don`t even think we can return to the hotel because the traffic lights are out.”
“It`s truly astonishing how much we depend on electricity; it`s completely insane and puts things into perspective,” she mused. “It also makes me consider people who lived before electricity and how remarkable that was.”
