"Did they find it in the trash?" "Modern art is a money laundering scheme and this is proof" - Fans dismayed at redesigned trophy for Madrid Open 2024

The trophy for the prestigious Mutua Madrid Open has undergone yet another redesign, but most tennis fans are far from pleased with how the new one looks.

Over the years, the trophy's design has rarely stayed the same for a long time. For instance, when Rafael Nadal won his first Madrid Open title in 2010, it was a shield-type trophy. Next year, a Roland Iten-designed statuette was introduced, which, at the time, was given the 'the most expensive trophy' tag in tennis. In 2018, the winners received a glass trophy.

Last year's trophy, lifted by Carlos Alcaraz on the men's side and Aryna Sabalenka on the women's side, marked another drastic departure from the trophies handed out to past champions. The sculptor, David Rodriguez, said that the 2023 trophy was crafted with an oval-themed design in mind. It was also announced last year that the trophy would change with each edition of the tournament.

Recently, the trophy for the 2024 edition of the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event was unveiled. Named 'Tyche' and designed by Rodriguez, the trophy is inspired by the ancient Greek goddess of chance of the same name. Rodriguez said in a recent interview that he leveraged a 3D printer to create the trophy with its oval and string elements.

However, fans were critical of the redesigned trophy. One set of fans believed that it bears a sub-par appearance.

"Did they find it in the trash???" asked one fan.

"They give charcoal now," wrote another fan.

"How do they manage to make it worse every year," commented another fan.

Another set of fans ridiculed the trophy by sharing how they perceived it after seeing it for themselves.

"Shame on me for thinking this was a dustbag of an old vacuum cleaner," one fan wrote.

"It looks like some fancy air purifier," another fan wrote.

"Modern art is a money laundering scheme and this trophy is proof," another fan chimed in.

There was yet another set of fans that compared it to the trophy introduced in 2011.

"I thought the Mutua Madrid Open previous trophy looked like a spikey penis was bad, but this? Whoever approved this and hired this guy need to be questioned if they took mushrooms or some other substance when it was being approved. It’s so horrendous," commented one fan.

"1. There is literally no reason other than trendiness to 3D print a relatively uncomplicated aluminum shape. 2. GIVE US BACK THE D*LDO, YOU COWARDS!" wrote another fan.

Madrid Open gets new sponsors in the form of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund

Carlos Alcaraz (L) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (R) posing with the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open trophy

Apart from a new trophy, this year's Madrid Open also has new sponsors following a multi-year agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). It marks the latest move in the tennis world by the PIF, which also played a pivotal role in helping Saudi Arabia become the host nation for the WTA Finals from 2024 to 2026.

Through the partnership, the PIF is set to create a platform for fans to interact and train with iconic players and coaches in Madrid. Youth-focused fan zones have also been promised.

The PIF is also a sponsor of other high-profile ATP Masters 1000 events such as the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open.