Alexander Blockx became the latest Next Gen star to enjoy an ATP breakthrough at the Mutua Madrid Open, dethroning Casper Ruud, 6-4, 6-4 to reach his first Masters 1000 semifinal.
“I’m just happy with being here,” Blockx said on court after the match. “Even winning my first match here, I barely escaped in the first round and I was happy about that already. The semifinals is something I wouldn’t have even dreamed of to begin with. I’m proud of how I’m playing the last couple of matches.”
Blockx finished runner-up to Learner Tien at the Next Gen ATP Finals last fall, and the 21-year-old Belgian has taken those talents to the next level at the Caja Magica, scoring his third consecutive Top 20 victory after one hour and 36 minutes on Manolo Santana Stadium.
A former Australian Open junior champion, Blockx began the 2026 season with an ATP Challenger title over Spanish teen Rafael Jodar and continued that momentum into the clay-court season, earning his first Top 20 victory over Flavio Cobolli en route to the third round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Unseeded in Madrid, the Belgian has amassed an impressive run of victories, defeating former world No. 17 Cristian Garin in a three-set first round before planting a trio of seeds to reach the quarterfinals: No. 28 Brandon Nakashima, No. 3 Félix Auger-Aliassime—his first Top 10 win—and No. 16 Francisco Cerundolo.
