Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti confirm favoritism and advance at the Mutua Madrid Open
Jannik Sinner had no difficulty advancing. The world number 1 beat the Danish Elmer Moller, 169th in the rankings, 6-2 and 6-3 in the third round of Mutua Madrid Open. The Italian confirmed his favoritism in 1h13 of the match at Caja Mágica.
Lorenzo Musetti also moved on. The sixth seed defeated the Dutch Tallon Griekspoor, 29th pre-classified, by 6-4 and 7-5. The Italian now faces Czech Jiri Lehecka in the round of 16.
Sinner making it clear he doesn’t need a dating app
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 26, 2026
“Do you have apps that help you learn Spanish?”
Jannik: “No I still need to find out.. Duolingo. Babble..”
“No, bumble is a dating app” 😂
Jannik: “No. Babble! I don’t need a dating app”
😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/4ULqBA6qFk
Sinner dominates from start to finish
The Italian entered the court with the clear objective of not giving any chances. Moller, who came from qualifying, only resisted at the beginning of the first set. Sinner broke his opponent’s serve twice and closed the partial at 6-2.
In the second set the dominance was even greater. The number 1 ranked player broke in the third game and managed the advantage. Moller even had a good service game, but was unable to threaten Sinner’s serve. The match ended 6-3 after 40 minutes in the final set.
- Sinner won 78% of points on the first serve
- Moller committed 18 unforced errors to the Italian’s 9
- The game had only one break of serve in the second set
The current No. 1 seeks first title in Madri. Ele already has a good track record on Spanish clay and arrives with good morale after consistent victories this season.
Musetti confirms good phase on clay
The 23-year-old Italian showed solidity against Griekspoor. Musetti broke at the end of the first set and closed at 6-4. In the second set the Dutchman pressed, but Musetti remained calm and took advantage of his opportunities to win 7-5.
The victory marks the continuation of Musetti’s good campaign in the tournament. Ele had already surpassed Hubert Hurkacz in the previous round. The Italian, semifinalist in Madri last year, shows comfort on the slow floor of Caja Mágica.
Musetti now faces Lehecka, who beat Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-2 on the same day. The confrontation must be balanced. Lehecka performs well in Masters 1000 and usually performs well against Italians.
- Musetti converted 4 of 7 break points
- Griekspoor only saved 55% of loot games
- The match lasted around 1h50
Duplas Italians stop in the round of 16
Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, top seeds in women’s doubles, fell in the third round. Elas lost to German Laura Siegemund and Russian Vera Zvonareva 4-6, 6-4 and 10-6 in the tie-break match.
The Italian duo had good recent results, but were unable to maintain the pace against the experience of their opponents. Siegemund had already faced Paolini in singles.
What lies ahead in the tournament
Sinner must face a more demanding opponent in the round of 16. The Italian remains the main favorite for the title on clay in Madrid. Sua consistency throughout the year puts pressure on rivals.
Musetti has a chance to repeat his good 2025 campaign. A win against Lehecka would put him in the quarterfinals and boost his confidence for the next Masters. The Italian has improved in his backhand and net game.
Mutua Madrid Open continues with other important games in the third round. The high clay of the Caja Mágica favors players with good physical conditioning and variations in rhythm.
