The Madrid Masters which officially started last Friday is kicking into full gear this week as the top guns are getting into action. It is one of the most prestigious titles on clay court. Here are some interesting facts about the Madrid Masters.
1) Strange history
Madrid Masters wasn’t always played on clay court. It wasn’t always open for both sexes. It wasn’t even always played in Madrid.
Originally it was played in Stockholm, Sweden from 1990-1994. Then in 1995 it was played in Essex, Germany. Later from 1996-2001, it was held in Stuttgart, Germany. After which it landed in Madrid.
It wasn’t until 2009 that it expanded to include the WTA professionals. It happened when the surface changed from indoor hard court to clay court.
2) The Titles
Like other clay court tournaments, Rafa hold the maximum number of titles won in this event. He currently hold a winning record 4 titles and reaching finals 3 more times. Only five other player today possess multiple victories at Madrid.
Roger Federer – 3 (2006, 2009, 2012)
Novak Djokovic- 2 (2011, 2016)
Andy Murray – 2 (2008, 2015)
Serena Williams – 2 (2012, 2013)
Petra Kvitova – 2 (2011, 2015)
3) Blue revolution
Red clay is so passé. The management thought it would be a lovely idea to bring in some color. The decided that the tournament would be played on blue clay which would please the eyes of the audience. I must say it a daring decision made by Ion Tiriac, the owner.
Most players did not fall for the aesthetics. The players incurred injuries from the constant slipping and falling. It was a humongous flop. Players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal threatened to boycott the tournament unless the court is changed back to red.
4) Eccentric Billionaire owner
Ion Tiriac, whose nickname is Brasov Bulldozer, is the owner of the Mutua Madrid Open. He is a Romanian businessman and former professional tennis and ice hockey player. He has been successful as both. He has won the French open and played in 3 Davis Cup finals. He served as coach and manager for many top players like Ilie Năstase, Guillermo Vilas, Goran Ivanišević and Boris Becker.
He is known for a charming and eccentric personality. After all he is the man behind the blue court idea. Shame that it didn’t work out and it doesn’t little to tarnish his genius.
5) Highest altitude
There might be palm trees in Madrid, but fact is that the voluptuous city of Madrid lies at an astounding 667 meters above sea-level, many places in the north even surpassing the 700 meters mark! This makes Madrid Open the highest venue for any tennis tournament.
Naturally, the air is thinner up there which makes the ball bounce around unpredictably. Thus it takes the players a while to acclimatise to the air.
