Stefanos Tsitsipas wasted emotional injury as he knocked a three-match losing streak on the head with a 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) comeback victory. on Thursday at the  Madrid Masters.

The Greek drew a third-set point penalty for coaching from his ever-present father Apostolos as Tsitsipas on his first clay match this season and took his first victory since March 20.

The World No. 80 who once stood as a top 10 regular defeated American lucky loser Patrick Kypson to reach the second round.

The coaching violation came as Apostolos began speaking to his son from the opponent side of the court, a violation of the on-court rule which allows advice when the player is near to the coaching box.

When he was penalised, Tsitsipas stormed to the chair but was unable to change the ruling.

Jannik Sinner enters this weeks Madrid Open in search of another record.

If the Italian World No. 1 claims the title on 3 May he will become the first player  to win five consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles.

Sinner was forced to retire during his third-round match in Shanghai last October but has since lifted the trophies in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo.

The 24-year-old did not drop a single set at the three hard-court events, though Tomas Machac put an end to his record breaking streak at 37 in the Monte-Carlo third round.

When Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte-Carlo final earlier this month he returned  to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for the first time since November 2025.

The Italian became the first player to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ with victories in Indian Wells and Miami, without dropping a set.

On three previous occasions Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal once each won four consecutive ATP Masters 1000’s

Djokovic won five trophies in a row at that level between Paris in 2014 and Rome in 2015 but did not play in Madrid that year.

Sinner is next aiming at  breaking  Djokovic’s record of winning six Masters 1000 titles in a single season in 2015.

The Italian is already an eight-time Masters 1000 champion, but Monte-Carlo was his first trophy at that  level on the clay.

Sinner’s best result in Madrid thus far was a run to the quarter final in 2024

The top seed will open against qualifier, Benjamin Bonzi  on Friday.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are locked in a countdown to fitness as the top 5 pair battle to be ready to compete again when the Rome Masters starts in a fortnight.

But anything but a perfectly timed recovery will mean that multiple Grand Slam champions won’t be back on court until Roland Garros starts in just over a month.

Djokovic, who has not played since mid-March when he lost in the Indian Wells fourth round to Brit Jack Draper while carrying a shoulder injury, may have foreshadowed his own recovery troubles as he presented awards in Madrid on Monday at the Laureus event.

“I’m doing everything in my power to recover and participate in Rome, but I can’t say anything now, it all depends on how fast the recovery from the injury progresses.” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said.

Both men are missing from this week’s start of the Madrid Masters, where world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is bidding for history by winning a fifth consecutive Masters 1000 trophy.

Alcaraz is equally uncertain of his return after quitting last week’s Barcelona home event with a wrist injury which may or may not heal in time to defend his titles in both Rome and Paris.

“We will see. The next scan will be decisive, so we are doing everything possible to ensure everything goes well. I am trying to be patient,” he Spaniard said.