MADRID, May 1 – Belgian tennis player Alexander Blockx turned what should have been a qualifying tournament appearance into a career-defining moment at the Madrid Open, advancing to the semifinals after receiving a last-minute spot in the main draw due to player withdrawals.
The 21-year-old athlete defeated several higher-ranked opponents, including Brandon Nakashima, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Francisco Cerundolo, before stunning defending champion Casper Ruud with a straight-set victory of 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday. His remarkable run earned him a semifinal matchup against Alexander Zverev.
Blockx, who climbed from outside the world’s top 100 just two months ago to his current ranking of 69th, could potentially break into the top 30 with another victory. However, the young player acknowledged his week has already exceeded all expectations.
“I was already happy with getting into the main draw … at the last minute on Friday, just before the deadline. Winning my first match (against Cristian Garin) was already a bonus,” Blockx explained.
“Then all the other matches, I never thought I’d get that far. But once you get confident and you feel your game, a lot can happen.”
After facing challenges maintaining consistency on the professional tour following his appearance in the Next Gen ATP Finals championship match last December, Blockx began showing renewed promise with a third-round performance at the Monte Carlo Masters in recent weeks.
His impressive Madrid performance, highlighted by defeating two-time French Open finalist Ruud, has provided additional confirmation of his abilities on clay courts.
“It’s nice beating the defending champion, whose favourite conditions are here. That shows I can play well on clay too,” Blockx stated.
“The ranking is going up really fast. It’s nice to be able to play bigger tournaments now. I don’t know the ceiling, I’ll just see match by match, and hopefully get as high as I can.”
Blockx’s semifinal against Zverev is scheduled for Friday, while world number one Jannik Sinner faces Arthur Fils in the tournament’s other semifinal match.
