Alexander Blockx has announced himself to the tennis world at the 2026 edition of the Madrid Open.
The 21-year-old Belgian booked his place in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event by dethroning defending champion Casper Ruud.
Following wins in the early stages of the tournament over Francisco Cerundolo and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Blockx beat Ruud in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
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Currently ranked 69th in the world, he isn’t the only young star who has taken the tennis world by storm recently, with 19-year-old Rafael Jodar also continuing to impress.
Blockx and Jodar are among the youngest players inside the top 100, and both are candidates to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of men’s tennis.
Alexander Blockx comments on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Asked if he, Jodar and Joao Fonseca will be able to compete with Sinner and Alcaraz in the near future, Blockx responded: “We will definitely try.
“I think they are still a big level ahead of us. But, yeah, that’s why we play this sport, to be able to make a chance maybe to compete with them.
“Yeah, it will be really difficult, but if you believe in it, then you have a small chance, yeah.”
Where do you think Rafael Jodar will be ranked at the end of 2026?
Between Blockx, Jodar and Fonseca, the highest in the live rankings is the latter, with the Brazilian currently placed 29th.
Jodar does not trail too far behind, though in 34th, following a semifinal run in Barcelona and a trip to the quarterfinals in Madrid.
Alexander Blockx reacts to his win over Casper Ruud in Madrid
Discussing his win over Ruud, Blockx said: “It’s nice beating the defending champion, and also Casper, whose favourite conditions are here, I think. That shows me that I can play well on clay, too.
“Yeah, the ranking is going up really fast. And, as I said, it’s nice to be able to play the bigger tournaments now. And, yeah, I don’t know, the ceiling, I’ll just see match by match, and hopefully I can get as high as I can, yeah.
“I was already happy with getting into the main draw here. I got into the main draw last minute on Friday, just before the deadline. So winning my first match here was already a bonus for me.
“Then, yeah, of course, all the other matches, I never thought I would get that far. But once you get confident and you feel your game, a lot can happen, yeah.”
Blockx is bidding to reach a maiden ATP Masters 1000 final, and is in search of his first tour-level crown.
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