The Madrid Open saw a huge shock at the 2010 tournament after Venus Williams was beaten in the final.
Madrid have hosted a WTA 1000 tournament since 2009, with some very high-profile champions including Serena Williams, Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sharapova.
However, there have also been some surprises in the Spanish capital, including in just the second edition of the tournament in 2010.
Venus Williams looked set to win her first title at the Madrid Open, before she was stunned in the final by an unseeded player.
Aravane Rezai caused a stunning upset at the 2010 Madrid Open
Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai had never been past the third round of a WTA 1000 tournament prior to the Madrid Open in 2010.
Rezai was the world number 24 heading into the Madrid Open, and was handed a brutal first round draw against seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin.
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After losing the first set of the tournament against Henin, Rezai would not lose another set at the 2010 tournament.
This saw Rezai beat the likes of Jelena Jankovic and Andrea Petkovic to reach the biggest final of her career.
Despite all of these impressive victories, Rezai was still the underdog heading into the final against fourth seed Venus Williams.
Rezai won the first set of the final 6-2, before finding herself 5-2 down in the second set against Williams.
After saving six set points and winning five games in a row, Rezai claimed the Madrid Open title in stunning fashion.
This helped Rezai reach her career-high ranking later that year, but she never won another match at the Madrid Open after losing in the first round in 2011.
| Madrid Open 2010 | Aravane Rezai’s result |
| First Round | Beat Justine Henin, 4-6 7-5 6-0 |
| Second Round | Beat Klara Zakopalova, 6-3 7-5 |
| Third Round | Beat Andrea Petkovic, 6-4 7-6(8) |
| Quarterfinal | Beat Jelena Jankovic (7), 7-5 6-4 |
| Semifinal | Beat Lucie Safarova, 6-1 (Safarova retired) |
| Final | Beat Venus Williams (4), 6-2 7-5 |
What was Aravane Rezai’s best result at a Grand Slam?
Although Rezai won one of the biggest titles on the calendar at the Madrid Open, this did not translate to her Grand Slam results.
Exactly half of Rezai’s 26 main draw appearances at Grand Slam tournaments saw her lose in the first round.
Rezai achieved her two best results at Grand Slams at the French Open in 2009 and the US Open in 2006, both where she reached the fourth round.
| Grand Slam | Aravane Rezai’s best result |
| Australian Open | Third Round (2008) |
| French Open | Fourth Round (2009) |
| Wimbledon | Third Round (2007) |
| US Open | Fourth Round (2006) |
The final Grand Slam main draw appearance of Rezai’s career came at the 2013 French Open, where she lost in the first round against Petra Kvitova.
Rezai appeared to have retired in 2015, before making a surprise return to tennis in 2021.
She played her most recent tournament in 2025, with Rezai, who is now 39 years old, retiring from her match at an ITF tournament in France last year.
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