Two months ago, Alexander Blockx was ranked 117th in the world and virtually unknown outside Belgium. On Friday evening, he will contest the semifinal of the Madrid Masters 1000 against Alexander Zverev. The rise has been so swift it is hard to keep up.
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Blockx is 21 years old, built like a rugby flanker, and plays a brand of tennis that fits no template. Born in Turnhout, in Flanders, he grew up hitting balls at his local club before moving to Spain to train. His junior career hinted at the potential: a runner-up finish at the 2023 Australian Open boys' event against Learner Tien, followed by a steady climb through the Challenger circuit where he claimed two titles in 2025 at Oeiras and Bratislava.
The real turning point came in Monte Carlo three weeks ago. Blockx had never won an ATP match on clay. Not a single one. He won two in the Principality, and something clicked. Confidence, most likely. "Once you get confident, a lot can happen," he said after his Madrid quarterfinal win.
What has unfolded in Madrid reads like fiction. First round, he beat world No. 26 Francisco Cerundolo. Second round, he dispatched a qualifier. Third round, he overcame world No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime. In the quarters, he dismantled defending champion Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4, as the Manolo Santana crowd began chanting his name.
Blockx becomes just the third Belgian to reach a Masters 1000 semifinal since the series began in 1990, following Christophe Rochus at Hamburg in 2005 and David Goffin, who reached the stage six times between 2016 and 2019. Where Goffin relied on precision and tactical intelligence, the Flemish youngster imposes raw power and a wingspan that allows him to cover the court differently.
His 2026 record tells the story of steady progression: 26 wins, 9 losses, and a 10-2 mark on clay. He is also part of the exclusive club of players born in 2003 or later to reach a Masters semifinal — only five have ever done it.
Tonight against Zverev, he has absolutely nothing to lose. Every additional point won in Madrid is a bonus for someone who was playing Challengers twelve months ago. But anyone who has watched him this week knows he is not here to make up the numbers.
