Due to a power outage, Madrid and its nearby areas turned pitch black on Monday (April 28). According to multiple sources, a graph on Spain’s electricity network showed a sharp drop in demand from 27,500 MW to around 15,000 MW at 12:15 pm. At the Madrid Open, several fans were left in the dark and were told to leave the Caja Mágica tennis complex, as play was suspended on the courts. Talking about these unusual scenes, several players took the blackout in stride and enjoyed time away from cellphones. For example, Daniil Medvedev said, “It’s fine“, Jack Draper admitted he was “actually enjoying” the time to “focus on what’s important,” and Alex de Minaur stated, “Don’t mind this off-the-grid thing.” Even America’s Taylor Fritz was spotted cracking a joke on this by offering some advice to solve the problem. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek claimed she “just chilled” and used that time to the fullest by chatting with her teammates. Mirra Andreeva said it was “fun” seeing people using their phones with flashlights and talking together in a bit more friendly atmosphere. But what was this Madrid Open blackout like for Coco Gauff?
Well, Coco Gauff was left startled during her on-court interview as the power outage hit the Madrid Open. She was caught off-guard by this incident and was seen covering her mouth with her hands as the TV feed lost audio. Later on, she even shared a glimpse of that moment on her X handle with the caption, “put this in the history books, in all seriousness, I hope everyone stays safe.” Later on, she explained the “pitch-black” scenario and spoke about the difficulties she faced during that time. Talking about difficulties, the “toughest thing” for Gauff was not being able to shower after her match. Recently, after beating Mirra Andreeva in the QF, she gave an interview with the Tennis Channel. Even in that interview, Gauff highlighted all these things and also revealed the new perspective that she has gained after this incident. What’s it?
Speaking to Prakash Amritraj in that interview, Gauff admitted, “It was very weird because I thought that the power just went out in the stadium, cuz it happened to me at Indian Wells, where I couldn’t finish my on-court interview. So I thought it was just that, and then when I got out and saw like the lights were off, the elevators weren’t working, I was like, ‘Okay’. I was thinking, ‘Alright, maybe just this entire site lost power.’ And then somebody told me that the whole country and like they were like the traffic lights aren’t working. So we were stuck here, we couldn’t leave, and then when we finally were able to leave, it took us two hours to get back to the hotel, and then the last mile and a half we decided just to get out and walk, cuz we were like in standstill traffic.“
She then said that her dad carried her bags and did most of the work. But at the same time, she stated it was just “cool,” because this incident made her realize “how much respect I have for humans that live before electricity and power cuz I didn’t realize we relied on it so much just cuz I was like I tried to take a shower after a match and I don’t know for some reasons the water wasn’t working here and I was like ‘Oh my gosh’. Then the traffic lights and then I had no service and then just the light, I had to then once the water got back working, I had a shower with my phone light with just that because it was pitch dark.” Coco Gauff joked, “God knew to make me born in the 21st century coz I wouldn’t have survived back then before electricity or power.“
QUEENS, NEW YORK – AUGUST 25: Coco Gauff attends a press conference at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 25, 2023 in Queens, Borough of New York City. US Open 2023 celebrates 50 years as the first sporting event in history to give equal prize money for men and women competitors (Photo by Maria Velez/VIEWpress) Image Credits: Getty
Now, coming back to the match against Andreeva, despite having interruptions after her previous match, Gauff sailed smoothly into the SF of the Madrid Open. She came back from double-set point down to win the first set and then cruised to victory over the 18-year-old Russian tennis sensation. What did she say about this epic battle in her post-match interview?
Coco Gauff rates her performance against Mirra Andreeva in the QF of the 2025 Madrid Open
Coco Gauff took just 1 hour and 32 minutes to thrash Mirra Andreeva by 7-5,6-1 in the youngest WTA 1000 QF since 2009. With this win, she has now also reached her first SF OF 2025, after having been stopped in her previous two QFs this year in Melbourne and Stuttgart. How much would she rate her performance against the in-form Andreeva in the QF out of 10?
“Probably a nine. I played really well today, and I was able to stay composed when facing set points, and I was really happy. I had a tough match in the first round, and even though it was tough, it prepped me, and hopefully I can keep going all the way to the end,” said Gauff.
Interesting Fact: Since Jessica Pegula exited the Madrid Open in the third round, Coco Gauff has a good chance of overtaking her for overtaking her and regaining America’s number one crown by reaching the final here.
Gauff hasn’t reached a final since she won the WTA Finals last year. Can she make her trip to the Spanish capital more memorable with a longer run? Well, the road to the final won’t be easy! She will have to face the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, in the SF. Coco Gauff currently trails the Pole by 3-11, including 5-0 on clay.
Swiatek has won all of these five matches in straight sets, and beating her on clay is literally a mammoth task! This will be their first meeting in Madrid, but we must keep in mind that Gauff had won their previous two encounters. Do you think the Americans can secure a third straight victory over the former world number one?
The post “Wouldn’t Have Survived” – Trapped in the Dark, Coco Gauff’s Madrid Ordeal Becomes a Lesson in Gratitude appeared first on EssentiallySports.