'INSANE' NATIONWIDE POWER OUTAGE HALTS PLAY IN MADRID

Fans flocked outside to find sunlight at the Madrid Open after learning about the sudden power outage. (Photo: The First Serve)

There's simply never a dull day in the tennis world.

Unlike any other sport, tennis always has a way of finding itself caught up in major events, be it next week’s conclave in Rome or today’s widespread power outage in Madrid.

Having walked into the Caja Magica site around 12pm on Monday, the venue felt less chaotic than on previous days, but that very quickly shifted.

By entering the code TFS2025 you will receive 15% off the RRP on all non-sale items when you shop online at www.racquetworld.com.au

Everything was running as normal inside Madrid's third court as Mirra Andreeva closed out her third-round match before the mayhem ensued.

Just past 12:30pm local time, the electricity went down across the venue and the city, and as we later found out, across multiple countries in western Europe.

The in-stadium technology just held up to see Andreeva win the match, but not long enough for the court announcer to have a functioning microphone to celebrate the victory; and yet, he made do.

From there, walking down to the ground floor of the site, where little natural light enters in, it became quite a scene.

Fans were using torches to navigate their way through the darkness, and some food vendors quickly shifted to a cash-and-torch operation.

While all matches were immediately suspended, many big names remained out on the practice courts, seeing hundreds of fans stream towards the ‘tennis garden’, which swiftly reached capacity.

Coco Gauff – one of three players able to complete their singles matches before the power outage – told the media her post-match experience was unique.

"In my interview on-court, the [microphone] cut off, but I thought it was just the mic in the stadium. Then I walked in the hallway and security told me to take the stairs but didn’t tell me why, and it was pitch black in there," Gauff revealed.

"Then I got the gist that the power was out, but I thought it was just a here thing, and then I realised it’s the whole country."

And as news continued to break, we learned that the outage was affecting people, places, and major networks far beyond the tennis, across Spain, Portugal, and France.

Admitting that all her issues were minor in perspective, Gauff revealed her post-match routine was a little different from usual.

"So far, the toughest thing was not being able to shower after my match. There was no running water, so I had to take baby wipes and wipe myself and spray some perfume and call it a day," Gauff told the media.

"I don’t even know if we’ll be able to go back to the hotel because the traffic lights are all out.

"It’s just crazy how much we depend on electricity; it’s really insane, and today puts that in perspective. It also makes me think about the humans who lived before electricity and how impressive that is."

After four hours of no play and no power, the Madrid Open announced that all matches had been cancelled for the day, and fans were recommended to leave the venue for safety reasons.

Despite the city metro and traffic light systems being shut down, police were deployed to direct traffic through major intersections, allowing players and fans to depart the site.

It left Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez little choice but to declare a state of emergency.

Gauff, who was ultimately pleased to finish her match, with almost the entire men’s and women’s draws set to play catch-up on Tuesday, said she’ll forever remember the chaos of the Madrid power outage.

"It’s probably not going to happen ever again, so we’ll always remember the day the power went out at the Madrid Open."

Brought to you by HEAD, Your Game Is Their Game. Find all the latest HEAD tennis, padel, pickleball and squash products now at www.head.com