The Manolo Santana Stadium hosts two semifinals on Friday that each tell a different story. Jannik Sinner faces Arthur Fils at 4 p.m., followed by Alexander Zverev against Alexander Blockx at 8 p.m. Favourites against underdogs, experience against fearlessness, dominance against revelation.
Sinner arrives on a staggering 21-match winning streak. The world No. 1 has not lost since Miami and is chasing a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title after Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo. His 2026 record speaks for itself: 28 wins, 2 losses, 9-0 on clay. In Masters semifinals, he boasts a career record of 12-4 with eight straight wins at this stage.
Fils brings his own momentum. The 21-year-old Frenchman is riding a 9-match winning streak since claiming the Barcelona title last week, and this is his maiden Masters semifinal. Their only previous meeting came in Montpellier in 2023, where Sinner prevailed 7-5, 6-2. Fils has matured since, but four losses in five matches against top-10 opponents suggest the step up remains daunting.
The second semifinal offers an even starker contrast. Zverev, 28, is playing his fifth consecutive Masters semifinal this season. The paradox is brutal: he consistently reaches this stage but can no longer get past it. Nine losses in his last ten semis, including three in 2026. Yet Madrid remains his fortress — three semis, three finals, two titles (2018, 2021).
Blockx has nothing to lose. The 21-year-old Belgian, ranked 117th at the start of the season, is playing the first semifinal of his career at tour level. He has knocked out four seeds in Madrid, including defending champion Casper Ruud in straight sets. He becomes just the third Belgian to reach a Masters semifinal after Christophe Rochus (2005) and David Goffin.
Two matches, four players, and the certainty that Madrid will deliver its verdict before midnight.
