Mutua Madrid Open Players To Watch
Jasmine Paolini (50-1): Paolini really seems to be rounding into form. The Italian went all the way to the semifinals at the Miami Open, where she ultimately ran into a red-hot Sabalenka. The 29-year-old then got bounced by the same opponent in the Stuttgart semifinals—in a tight, 7-5, 6-4 match—but not before earning a straight-set win over Coco Gauff. All in all, Paolini is starting to look like last year’s two-time Grand Slam runner-up. Her hold percentage and break percentage are climbing, and her baseline game is there. So, I wouldn’t rule out a deep run for the Italian, especially in a manageable part of the bracket, where the top player she’d face is Elena Rybakina. That’s somebody she’s had success against in the past.
Karolina Muchova (33-1): Muchova didn’t play in Stuttgart and really hasn’t looked great over the course of the 2025 season. But she has had some moments, and she should be able to do some damage on the dirt. Muchova’s 66.7% winning percentage on clay is the best number she has on any surface. Also, she has made three clay-court finals in her career, with one of them being the French Open in 2023. In that match, she put up a real fight against Swiatek. Muchova also happens to have a nice draw. I don’t see her running into trouble until a potential Round of 16 match against Mirra Andreeva, but that’s one I think the Czech can win. Andreeva looked pretty lousy against Ekaterina Alexandrova in Stuttgart, and Muchova’s game is a good match for a faster clay-court tournament.
