Rafael Nadal joined Daniil Medvedev in making a shock early exit from the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
While world number one Carlos Alcaraz overcame Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4 6-4 to progress to the last 16, there was no such luck for compatriot Nadal, whose chances of ending the year at the top of the ATP rankings are over after a defeat to Tommy Paul.
World number two Nadal looked well set to progress after claiming the first set 6-3 in just over 40 minutes, yet American Paul rallied to seal the biggest win of his career 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.
The 22-time grand slam champion said on Tuesday that he is no longer concerned with competing for the top spot in the world, though he will no doubt be frustrated at bowing out at the first hurdle ahead of the ATP Finals later this month.
Paul became the first player to defeat Nadal prior to the quarter-finals of the tournament when he sent a controlled backhand volley away from the forlorn 36-year-old.
Nadal was not the only big-name exit, with world number three Medvedev also slumping to defeat, going down 6-4 2-6 7-5 to Alex de Minaur.
For Australian De Minaur, it was his first win in 19 attempts against a player ranked in the top five and sets up a third-round clash with Frances Tiafoe, who beat Jack Draper.
"It's a good one to get, for sure," said De Minaur. "It's the end of the year, everyone's a bit tired, but I'm very proud of my performance. I just played very smart.
"I knew it was going to be a chess match out there, both baiting each other to be aggressive, but you also didn't want to be too aggressive at times. It was an absolute battle and I'm very happy I was able to come out on top."
It leaves the path open for Alcaraz to retain his place as the world's best player, and the 19-year-old said after his win: "First round in every tournament is never easy.
"You have to be really focused, you have to try to get a good rhythm, good feeling in the first round. I'm really happy with the performance, the level that I played, and I'm looking forward to getting better in the next round."
Ninth seed Taylor Fritz and 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz lost to Gilles Simon and Holger Rune respectively, their defeats ensuring Felix Auger-Aliassime, who overcame Mikael Ymer, and Andrey Rublev will feature in the ATP Finals.
Auger-Aliassime's victory took three hours and 30 minutes, and marked his 14th win in a row.
"Somehow I found a second wind after saving those break points at 4-1," said the Canadian.
"I played better and better, coming through the court much better, serving better. It was pretty epic. Three hours and 30 minutes on the court, quality rallies. He was making me work all the time. Definitely a win to remember."
Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was also a winner, seeing off Daniel Evans in straight sets.
World number one Swiatek sees off Xiyu in Madrid opener
World number one Iga Swiatek overcame Wang Xiyu with the minimum of fuss on Thursday to progress to the third round of the Madrid Open.
Swiatek has yet to win the title in Madrid, which is the only clay-court European event at which the Pole has not triumphed, but she got off to a flying start with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Xiyu.
"I love this place. I got to know the city a little better last year," Swiatek said. "So this time I feel more comfortable around."
Next up for the 22-year-old is a third-round tie against 27th seed Sorana Cirstea on Saturday.
Data Debrief
Swiatek has registered 150 match wins on the WTA Tour since the start of 2022. Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff are the next best with 108 wins each.
She also became the first player born this century to claim 50 combined match wins in Madrid, Rome and Roland-Garros, since the inaugural women's singles event at the Madrid Open in 2009.
Dominant Gauff double bagels Rus at Madrid Open
Coco Gauff made a flying start to her Madrid Open campaign on Thursday, recording the first double bagel main-draw win of her career as she cruised past Arantxa Rus to reach the round of 32.
Gauff needed just 51 minutes to see off 33-year-old Rus as she booked a meeting with Ukraine's Dayana Yamstremska for Saturday.
The US Open champion lost just 18 points throughout the match – eight in the opener and 10 in the second set – as she put any doubts over her recent form to bed in emphatic fashion.
Gauff's power proved too much for Rus in the opener, the third seed winning 88 per cent of points behind her first serve and converting three of four break points to go a set up in just 23 minutes.
Rus brought up four break points midway through the second set, but when she failed to convert them, Gauff punished her in ruthless fashion by reeling off another three games then finishing things with a terrific forehand winner.
Speaking after her win, the American said: "I played really well today. It was just one of those days for me… 6-0 6-0, I've never done that before, I'll probably never do it again."
Data Debrief: Gauff matches Azarenka, Halep feat
Gauff is just the third player to register a 6-0 6-0 win in the women's singles draw at the Madrid Open, following in the footsteps of two former world number ones in Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep.
The American, who only turned 20 last month, is also the youngest player to double bagel an opponent in any main-draw match on the WTA Tour since Iga Swiatek did so against Karolina Pliskova in the 2021 Italian Open final in Rome.
Nadal cruises past teen Blanch to tee up De Minaur rematch in Madrid
Darwin Blanch presented little challenge for Rafael Nadal, who dropped just one game in a convincing 6-1 6-0 triumph at the Madrid Open.
Nadal is feeling his way back to fitness, but 16-year-old qualifier Blanch offered little resistance to the 22-time major champion on Thursday.
Making his farewell appearance at the Madrid Open, where he has won five titles, Nadal needed just 64 minutes to progress to round two.
"I think today I played against an opponent with a great future in front [of him], but today, still making mistakes," said Nadal.
"I just tried to be there, be solid all the time without taking a lot of risks. It worked well. I'm happy to be through and I wish him all the very best for the future."
Nadal's reward is a rematch with Alex de Minaur, who he lost to last week in Barcelona.
Data Debrief
This game saw the largest age gap (21 years, 117 days) between two opponents in the history of ATP Masters 1000 events.
Nadal has now registered 57 wins at the Madrid Open, which is 20 clear of any other player.
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