Coco Gauff gets lucky escape, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka fall victim to chaos: Madrid Open mishap sees strange consequences

American WTA star Coco Gauff turned advantageous at the ongoing WTA 1000 event in Madrid. The 21-year-old sighed in relief as the unexpected nationwide power outage occurred just minutes after she defeated Belinda Bencic in the round of 16 match. While she got lucky, her rivals Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka found themselves in a concerning situation, as their matches were forcibly suspended.

A massive power outage disrupted large parts of Spain and Portugal on April 28, 2025, due to a rare atmospheric phenomenon causing grid instability. The issue affected metro services, disabled traffic lights, and suspended the Madrid Open tennis tournament. While the electronic systems failed amid the blackout, players, including Coco Gauff, were left in the dark during interviews. Organisers cancelled all remaining matches for the day, prioritising the safety of players.

While it was just the post-match interview interruption for Coco Gauff, other top seeds, including Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, had to wait amid the forced suspension of matches. This could result in a chaotic situation for both rivals, as the scheduling could prove to be brutal, with fewer preparatory breaks.

After her round of 32 victory over Linda Noskova on the 26th of April, Swiatek is set to face Russian player Diana Shnaider. With the showdown suspended amid the chaotic situation, the play is expected to resume on Tuesday, 29th April. Sabalenka, on the other hand, is looking forward to facing the American WTA star Peyton Stearns on the same day.

---

Coco Gauff expresses relief as she gets past the unexpected troubles in Madrid

Coco Gauff at the BNP Paribas Open - Previews - Source: Getty

Coco Gauff didn't back down from expressing relief after cherishing the edge amid chaos in Madrid. While the power outage was serious enough to force players, including Grigor Dimitrov and Jacob Fearnley out of the court mid-match, luck favoured Gauff as the issue occurred just minutes after her showdown concluded.

Expressing relief over the events, the WTA star shared a story on Instagram, thanking god for the unplanned favor.

"Apparently the power is out in most of the country and in Portugal I finished my match right before it happened! Thank God," her caption said.

Coco Gauff's Madrid Open story - Via Instagram

While Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka must still play for a spot in the quarterfinals, Coco Gauff has already moved ahead and now looks forward to a showdown against Mirra Andreeva for a place in the top four.