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Coco Gauff recently detailed the unexpected chaos players faced at the Madrid Open following a massive power outage. The American tennis star revealed that the situation worsened when not only the electricity but also the water supply was cut off, forcing players to find creative ways to freshen up.
The power failure, which disrupted "the whole of the Iberian Peninsula and part of France," according to Portuguese electricity operator REN, brought matches to a halt shortly after 10:30 a.m. GMT. Eventually, tournament organizers called off the remainder of Monday's schedule about four hours later.
Gauff: “I Had to Use Baby Wipes and Perfume”
Speaking to the media after her victory over Belinda Bencic, Gauff shared just how difficult conditions became for everyone at the WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 event.
“I just had to take baby wipes and wipe myself and spray some perfume and call it a day. I don’t think we’re even going to be able to go back to the hotel because the traffic lights are out," she admitted.
Reflecting on the dependency on modern conveniences, Gauff added, "It’s just crazy how much we depend on electricity. It’s really insane and puts it in perspective. Also makes me think about the humans before electricity and how impressive that is.”
Limited Play as Outage Halts Tournament Progress
Only three matches were held before the disruption put an end to the day's proceedings. Coco Gauff defeated Belinda Bencic, while Mirra Andreeva overcame Yuliia Starodubtseva to reach the quarterfinals. On the men's side, Matteo Arnaldi busked his way through the fourth round by defeating Damir Dzumhur.
Gauff’s Challenging Return to the Hotel
Following the power outage, Gauff and many others were stranded at the venue for an extended period. She eventually made it back to her hotel, but it wasn’t an easy journey.
Sharing the ordeal with her followers on Instagram, Gauff revealed that after sitting in traffic for nearly two hours—with traffic lights not functioning—they decided to leave their car and walk the rest of the way.
"Traffic lights don't work lol. We got out of the car after 1 hour and 45 minutes slowly moving and just walked to the hotel," she wrote in an Instagram Story.
Eyes Set on Quarterfinal Clash With Mirra Andreeva
Next up, Gauff will face teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals on April 30. Andreeva enters the clash in blistering form, having already lifted titles at both the Dubai Tennis Championships and Indian Wells this year. Meanwhile, Gauff is aiming to secure her first tournament win of the 2025 season in Madrid.
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