Wednesday hosts quarterfinal action from both the men’s and women’s singles draws.
Rafael Jodar has been the breakout star of now only this fortnight, but this season. The 19-year-old has now collected 30 wins during 2026 at all levels, and finds himself in his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal, in just his third Masters 1000 appearance. But how will Jodar measure up against the best player in the world, Jannik Sinner, who has now won his last 25 matches at Masters 1000 events?
Wednesday’s other men’s singles quarterfinal is a battle between two of the ATP’s most in-form players: Jiri Lehecka and Arthur Fils.
The day’s women’s singles quarterfinals feature four surprising names. A resurgent Karolina Pliskova plays Anastasia Potapova, who upset Elena Rybakina in the last round. And Linda Noskova, who upset Coco Gauff in the last round, takes on Marta Kostyuk, who upset Jessica Pegula two rounds ago. With the top six seeds in women’s singles all eliminated from this tournament, we are guaranteed a new Madrid Open champion, and one of these four players will at least make the final.
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Wednesday (in chronological order, all times local):
Karolina Pliskova vs. Anastasia Potapova – 11:00am on Manolo Santana Stadium
Pliskova missed the majority of 2025 after suffering a severe left ankle injury that required two surgeries. But she’s now achieved consecutive clay court quarterfinals this month, with this tournament marking the first time she has won four consecutive matches since June of 2024. Similarly, Potapova advanced to the final of Linz a few weeks ago, and is now into her fourth WTA 1000 quarterfinal, after taking out Rybakina in straight sets on Monday. However, Potapova is 0-3 previously in quarterfinals at this level. Their only prior encounter occurred two years ago on a hard court in Doha, where Pliskova prevailed in three sets.
Jannik Sinner (1) vs. Rafael Jodar (WC) – Not Before 2:00pm on Manolo Santana Stadium
Jodar started this season ranked 165th in the world, but is now up to No.34 in the live rankings. Out of his 30 match wins during 2026, 17 have come at tour level, and the 19-year-old won his first ATP title on clay in Marrakech only a few weeks ago. Within the last month alone, Rafael is 12-1 on this surface. His first meeting with Sinner will be a huge step up in competition, and the Italian is certainly the favorite. But I’m most curious to see how this teenager performs against the best player in the world, and in front of an extremely partisan Spanish crowd.
Marta Kostyuk (26) vs. Linda Noskova (13) – Not Before 8:00pm on Manolo Santana Stadium
Noskova outlasted a less-than-100% Coco Gauff on Monday, as Gauff is one of many players to catch the virus that’s been going around the locker room. But Noskova is now vying for her third WTA 1000 semifinal, with the first two coming within the last six months. Kostyuk has not dropped a set through three matches in Madrid, including against fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula, as she vies for her second career WTA 1000 semifinal, and her first in over two years. This will be another first-time meeting on the day.
Arthur Fils (21) vs. Jiri Lehecka (11) – Not Before 9:30pm on Manolo Santana Stadium
This is a rematch from the Miami semifinals last month, when a depleted Fils managed to win just four games against Lehecka, as the Frenchman had played a grueling quarterfinal against Tommy Paul. Overall this head-to-head stands at 2-2, with all four matches taking place on hard courts. Earlier this year in Doha, a more-energized Fils defeated Lehecka 6-3, 6-3. And despite Lehecka’s run to the Miami final, Fils has been the better player this season. He’s already accumulated 21 match wins since returning from a long injury layoff in February, and won a clay court title just over a week ago in Barcelona.
Wednesday’s full Order of Play is here.
