The women's draw at the Mutua Madrid Open lost its two biggest remaining names on Monday, as Tennis Majors reported that Russian Anastasia Potapova eliminated second seed Elena Rybakina 7-6(8), 6-4, while Czech Linda Noskova, the No. 13 seed, beat No. 3 seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 1-6, 7-6.
Potapova's victory over Rybakina came in a tight opening set decided by tiebreak. The Russian converted her opportunity to advance to the later stages of the tournament, securing a straight-sets win that removed one of the draw's strongest contenders.
Noskova's win over Gauff proved even more dramatic. After losing the second set 1-6, Noskova rallied to take the third set in another tiebreak, completing one of the tournament's most remarkable comebacks and eliminating the third seed from contention.
The back-to-back upsets significantly altered the composition of the remaining draw at Madrid, opening the path for unseeded and lower-ranked players to advance further in the event.
Sources
- Tennis Majors: Potapova and Noskova send Rybakina and Gauff packing as Madrid draw is turned on its head. Published 2026-04-27.
Reported from public sources.