Madrid Open 2025 Day 5 Recap – Perfect Tennis

Day five at the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open saw Sascha Zverev continue his quest for a third title at the Caja Magica, escaping Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a tricky three-setter that ended in a final-set tie break.

One hurdle he won’t have to face in the fourth round is defending champion Andrey Rublev, whose hopes of repeating his performance from twelve months ago ended prematurely at the hands of Sascha Bublik.

In what has become standard procedure so far in Madrid, the day wasn’t complete without another retirement as Benjamin Bonzi threw in the towel after Taylor Fritz had levelled their match at one set all.

Full results and recap below.

Day Five 2025 Madrid Open Round of 32 Results

Winner
Loser
Scoreline

Alexander Zverev (1)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (28)
2-6 7-6(3) 7-6(0)

Francisco Cerundolo (20)
Francisco Comesana
6-4 6-4

Jakub Mensik (22)
Ben Shelton (12)
6-1 6-4

Alexander Bublik
Andrey Rublev (7)
6-4 0-6 6-4

Taylor Fritz (3)
Benjamin Bonzi
4-6 7-5 RET

Casper Ruud (14)
Sebastian Korda (23)
6-3 6-3

Daniil Medvedev (9)
Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Q)
6-2 6-2

Brandon Nakashima (31)
Flavio Cobolli
7-5 6-3

Zverev Fends Off Fokina

Alexander Zverev battled past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a hard-fought 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(0) third-round victory at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday.

The two-time champion overcame a tough Spanish crowd and a spirited performance from Fokina to keep his title hopes alive.

After a lacklustre first set, Zverev rallied from a break down in the second, securing the tie-break before surviving a late scare when he failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third. The German’s composure in the final tie-break proved decisive, sealing the win after 2 hours and 44 minutes.

Fokina, with finals in Delray Beach and Acapulco this year, plus a semi-final appearance in Monte Carlo, pushed hard but faltered in the clutch, his forehand misfiring in the tie-break as the German swooped it 7-0 to end any Spanish representation in the draw.

Zverev, fresh off a Munich title, struck 11 aces and made 17 fewer unforced errors than Fokina (28-45), and he looks to be regaining his form after a disappointing run.

There were a lot of ups and downs, but he was playing fantastic in the first set. I was playing terribly in the first set and then I was waiting for my chances.I had to keep digging deep. Winning like that is always great and I’m happy about today. Zverev on his win.

Medvedev Masters The Lesser Cerundolo

Daniil Medvedev hit the ground running at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday, dispatching Argentine qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 6-2 in a crisp 62-minute display to reach the fourth round.

The World No. 10, who received a walkover in the second round against Laslo Djere, was sharp from the outset in his first match since Monte-Carlo. Medvedev saved the lone break point he faced and converted four of five break point opportunities to outclass the World No. 126 Cerundolo in their first meeting.

I felt good in practice here, but it’s not the same in a match. Practice courts are usually a tiny bit different to the centre court. For sure [I was] a bit nervous because we have a small superstition as tennis players that, the worse you play before the tournament, the better you play in it, and the better you play before, the worse you play in the matches. But I overcame this superstition four years ago, so I was looking forward to implementing the game I had in practice. I’m happy with my level. Medvedev on his win.

Other Matches of Note

Francisco Cerundolo (20) def. Francisco Comesana 6-4, 6-4. Francisco Cerundolo secured a straightforward victory in an all-Argentine clash, defeating Francisco Comesana in 1 hour, 37 minutes, converting 2 of 5 break points and saving all four he faced. Cerundolo maintained control throughout, advancing to the fourth round where he’ll challenge top seed Alexander Zverev in a bid to reach his first Madrid quarter-final.

Jakub Mensik (22) def. Ben Shelton (12) 6-1, 6-4. Jakub Mensik delivered a commanding 68-minute upset over 12th seed Ben Shelton, breaking the American four times. The Czech struck 5 aces and won 90% of first-serve points (26/28), displaying precision and power to secure his place in the fourth round against Bublik.

Alexander Bublik def. Andrey Rublev (7) 6-4, 0-6, 6-4. Alexander Bublik stunned defending champion Andrey Rublev in 84 minutes, earning his 10th career Top 10 win. Despite a second-set bagel, Bublik regrouped, firing 12 aces and 33 winners to edge out the No. 7 seed. Rublev’s defeat ends his title defence and sees him slip out of the Top 15 for the first time since early 2020.

Taylor Fritz (3) def. Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 7-5, RET. Taylor Fritz advanced to the fourth round after Benjamin Bonzi retired in the third set, with the score at 4-6, 7-5 after 1 hour, 32 minutes. Fritz converted 1 of 5 break points and fought back from a set down before Bonzi’s withdrawal.

Brandon Nakashima (31) def. Flavio Cobolli 7-5, 6-3. Brandon Nakashima outlasted Flavio Cobolli in a 1-hour, 39-minute contest, breaking the Italian three times to secure a fourth-round berth. Winning 74% of first-serve points (35/47), Nakashima’s steady performance sets up a challenging matchup against Daniil Medvedev as he aims for his first Madrid quarter-final.

Highlights

Coming soon.

Madrid Open Day Six: Round of 32 Matches