Iga Swiatek and Andrey Rublev’s prize money revealed after Madrid Open wins
Andrey Rublev won the Madrid Open for the first time
Andrey Rublev will leap back up to No 6 in the ATP Rankings after a remarkable win in an injury-cursed Madrid Open men’s tournament.
Rublev overcame illness and a nightmare start to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets to win his first title in Madrid and collect the top prize money of €963,225.
Auger-Aliassime raced into a 4-1 lead with two breaks of serve and eventually took the opening set 6-4, but Rublev fought back to clinch the next two sets 7-5 and secure his second Masters 1000 title.
That only tells part of the story, with Rublev admitting after the match that he has overcome huge hurdles to win the title, as he has been battling a debilitating virus all week.
“In the beginning of this week, starting at the weekend, I had a virus. Tomorrow we got to the hospital to check,” Rublev told Sky Sports Tennis
“Half of my throat is blocked completely. And the first days I couldn’t eat because it was burning so I had to eat baby food. It was a disaster.
“Then when I start to feel a bit better, my throat became even more inflamed. Nothing helped, so doctors were doing some injections that allowed me to go on court.
“Then I started to get inflammation on my feet that started to affect the bones. I couldn’t put my feet inside the shoes.
“So this is a fairy tale week. I am so negative about myself always, but I feel so proud now.
“There are no thoughts. The last couple of nights, I’m waking up in pain, but it doesn’t matter now. I can sit for the week in the hospital.”
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“In the end, I think it helped me,” he added. “I start to focus on everything because I need to save energy. I start to focus on the game. I couldn’t even say ‘come on’ because I had no voice.
“The first matches, since the beginning of the tournament, I have felt like I played well, but then the virus came. I stay in my room every day, room service. It was amazing.”
The scale of Rublev’s achievement was made all the more impressive by the illness that could have overcome him, with the men’s draw handed an unexpected final after a tournament that saw a host of star names pull out due to injury.
If the men’s draw in Madrid was loaded with chaos, the women’s final was more predictable as world No 1 Swiatek beat world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka in a sensational final on Saturday.
That win secured Swiatek €963,225, the same amount of money as Rublev secured in the men’s event.
The 22-year-old Pole, already a three-time champion at Roland Garros, has now secured the one big European clay tournament which had eluded her.
“It is always a challenge playing against you Aryna, so thanks for motivating me and forcing me to be a better player,” Swiatek said on court after winning her 20th career title.
“Thanks to my team for sticking with me through ups and downs. I hope we are going to continue progressing.”
The debate over whether an extended two-week Madrid Open worked for fans or players is a point of conjecture, but there is no doubt that the two singles finals served up a feast of tennis that ensured the equal prize money on offer for both events was entirely apt.