Power outage pandemonium is nothing new in the tennis world. In 2024, a daytime power outage halted play at the Madrid Open. Without power, there was no way of implementing the electronic line calling system in the matches. Then, in February 2025, play was suspended at the Chile Open due to a massive power outage in the country (it was the worst power outage in Chile since 2010). Following that, on April 28, a similar power outage across the Iberian Peninsula hampered matches at the Madrid Open. While players like Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva got a lucky escape from this bizarre situation, several others, like Iga Swiatek, were seen sitting in the darkened players’ lounge, talking with her teammates while waiting for the resumption of her match. What did the American star, Gauff say about this whole incident?
Talking about this power outage, Spain’s Prime Minister attributed this to an issue in Europe’s grid, however, the cause remains under investigation, according to Associated Press. The sudden loss of power saw Coco Gauff’s microphone cut out during her on-court interview and she had to then rush back to the players’ lounge. Highlighting that startling moment in one of her recent tweets, Gauff captioned a post saying, “ put this in the history books, in all seriousness I hope everyone stays safe .”
According to various reports, a graph on Spain’s electricity network website showed a sharp drop in demand from nearly 27,500 MW to about 15,000 MW at 12:15 pm. As per ATP, “Two singles matches and one doubles match at the ATP Masters 1000 event were underway when power was lost at 12:34 p.m. local time.” Fans were left in darkness as play was suspended on the courts, and players were seen dining by candlelight at the tournament following this power outage. Speaking more about this incident, Gauff also expressed her delight at seeing her special request being turned down before the match. What was her request, though? “At first, I was trying to request yesterday to be like second on instead of first, but I’m glad that request didn’t go through, so shout-out to WTA supervisors for making the right decision for me.”
Coco Gauff further explained, “It was pitch-black, and I got the gist that the power went out. I thought it was just us and then I realized it was the whole country, that’s just insane.” What was her biggest challenge amidst all these, though? “So far, the toughest thing has been not been able to shower after my match. There’s no running water so I just had to take baby wipes and wipe myself, spray some perfume, and call it a day.” She then went on to add, “I don’t even think we’ll be able to go back to the hotel as the traffic lights are out. So it’s just crazy how much we depend on electricity. It’s really insane. It puts that in perspective and also makes me think about the humans that lived before electricity and how impressive that is.“
Coco Gauff: “At first I was trying to request yesterday to be like second on instead of first, but I’m glad that request didn’t go through, so shout-out to WTA supervisors for making the right decision for me ” pic.twitter.com/b5Dw8oDAFS
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) April 28, 2025
Even Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, addressed this bizarre incident through a tweet stating, “Wow no play in Madrid for a while now power outage, no linespersons on hand to resume play.” Her compatriots, including Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, and Peyton Stearns, also gave their reactions on the same.
Coco Gauff’s opponent in the QF, Mirra Andreeva, said, “It was 15-40 on my serve. I was like, ‘Oh, Mirra, please do everything in your power to take this game and finish the match. I knew that if it went to 5-5, we probably would have to wait, and I would be here still.” She said it was “fun” seeing everyone using their phones with flashlights and talking together in a bit more friendly atmosphere amid the high-pressure situations of the hectic schedule. What did Andreeva say about facing Gauff in the QF, though?
Mirra Andreeva says she’s “super excited” to face Coco Gauff in the QF of the Madrid Open
Fasten your seatbelts as the two youngest players in the Top 30 are all set to cross paths in the QF of the 2025 Madrid Open. This will be the third time they will be facing each other on the Tour. Coco Gauff currently holds a record of 2-0 against Mirra Andreeva. The Russian star has already won two WTA 1000 titles (Dubai, Indian Wells). Can she now beat the world number 4?
Well, in her recent interview, Andreeva said, “Last time I faced her on clay was Roland Garros 2023. The first set was tight, but the rest of the match was like ehhh. She didn’t give me a chance. But it was two years ago, so I’m just super excited to not take revenge but to see how different I play. I think it’s going to be an entertaining match.” Both these players have already secured three victories in this tournament. If she wins this match against Gauff, then she’ll make it to the SF of the Madrid Open for the very first time in her career.
Speaking about her chances in this epic battle against the American, Andreeva said, “This year, going to try to advance further. I’m going to do everything possible to win this.” On the other hand, Coco Gauff defeated Belinda Bencic in the previous match by 6-4,6-2. With this victory, she has reached the last eight of the Madrid Open for the very first time in her career.
Gauff is now also the second player to reach the QF of the Madrid Open in the women’s singles event after losing the first set in their opening match 0-6. (She secured an incredible comeback by defeating Dayana Yastremska by 0-6,6-2,7-5 in her R64 match). Who do you think will win this epic QF clash, though?
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