The 2026 edition of the Madrid Open is underway, and some big names have already exited the tournament.
Venus Williams bowed out in Madrid after receiving a wildcard, with the American legend handed a heavy straight-sets defeat by Kaitlin Quevedo.
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Meanwhile, Gael Monfils, who is set to retire at the end of the season, suffered an early exit in his swansong campaign in the Spanish capital.
Grigor Dimitrov also saw his run at the Madrid Open come to an end after losing to Paraguayan qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo.
With the men’s draw wide open due to the withdrawals of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, a big chance has presented itself to several stars on the ATP Tour.
Alexei Popyrin loses again at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament
Some have already failed to capitalise on that opportunity, however, including former Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin.
Popyrin, aged 26, secured the biggest title of his career just a year and a half ago when he emerged victorious in Montreal to claim his first and only ATP Masters 1000 title.
Since then, despite reaching a career-high ranking of 19th in the world, the Australian has not really kicked on.
Following an indifferent season on the tour in 2025, Popyrin has endured a very disappointing first four months of 2026.
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On Thursday, Popyrin lost to world number 126 Martin Damm Jr. in the first round of the Madrid Open.
The defeat marked a fifth consecutive loss at Masters 1000 events, with Popyrin winless at the premium level since the Cincinnati Open in August last year.
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- Madrid 2026: Opening-round exit
Popyrin has also only won one match at Grand Slams in his past three appearances, with the sole triumph coming at the US Open in 2025.
He is currently ranked 56th in the world, which is his lowest position since August 2024.
Alexei Popyrin’s 2026 season on the ATP Tour so far
Popyrin started his season with five consecutive defeats on the ATP Tour, losing his first matches in Brisbane, Adelaide, the Australian Open, Manama and Rotterdam.
At the Qatar Open, he finally got off the mark by beating 30-year-old Qatari wildcard Mubarak Zayid, who is ranked outside the top 2000.
His run in Doha quickly came to an end after that, however, when he fell to Jannik Sinner in the second round.
Popyrin picked up another win in Dubai before two more opening-round exits in Indian Wells and Miami.
Then, he finally clinched two wins in a row at the Houston Men’s Clay Court Championships to reach the quarterfinals, where Popyrin was bested by Frances Tiafoe.
With two more losses in Monte-Carlo and Madrid, Popyrin now has a win-loss record of 4-11 in 2026.
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