A huge blackout across Spain and Portugal forced the suspension of Monday’s matches at the Madrid Open.
Tennis action at the Madrid Open ground to an abrupt halt on Monday after a major power outage swept across Spain and Portugal, plunging the Caja Mágica stadium into darkness and leaving players and fans stranded.
The blackout struck at 12.34pm local time, causing chaos across the venue. Scoreboards failed, spidercams dangled dangerously over courts, and card machines shut down, leaving fans unable to buy food or drink. Toilets were also briefly inoperative as water supplies faltered.
Grigor Dimitrov, seeded 15th, was just two points from victory against Britain’s Jacob Fearnley when their match at the Manolo Santana Stadium was halted. Dimitrov led 6-4, 5-4 when the stadium’s spidercam lost power, hanging ominously above the court and forcing an immediate suspension of play.
Elsewhere, fourth seed Coco Gauff had just secured a 6-4, 6-2 win over Belinda Bencic when her post-match interview was cut short as microphones and screens lost power at the Arantxa Sánchez Stadium.
Spectators, initially assuming the interruption would be brief, soon found themselves navigating dark stairways and powerless underpasses. British fan Siobhan Baker described the eerie atmosphere, saying: “We thought it was just a blip, but then the toilets stopped working and the card machines were down. We only had 20 euros, and that’s all gone now.”
Matteo Arnaldi’s round-of-32 clash against Damir Dzumhur briefly resumed with traditional umpire line-calling after the electronic systems failed. Arnaldi eventually triumphed 6-3, 6-4, but it was the only match to be completed under such improvised conditions.
With ongoing safety concerns, tournament organisers officially called off the rest of Monday’s schedule, explaining: “In order to guarantee the safety of the players, fans and personnel at the Caja Mágica, today’s play has been postponed.”
The blackout, which also disrupted traffic lights, airport operations and sections of Madrid’s underground transport, left the city grappling with widespread chaos. Spain’s national grid operator Red Eléctrica confirmed efforts were underway to fully restore power by evening.
The disruption leaves tournament organisers facing a logistical headache as they attempt to reorganise matches amid an already packed schedule. For now, though, players, fans, and officials alike will be hoping for a swift return to normal service — and light.
