Britain’s Jacob Fearnley was forced off court as Monday’s play was cancelled for day at the Madrid Open due to a nationwide power outage.
The third-round tie between Fearnley and Grigor Dimitrov had reached a critical stage, Fearnley breaking the 15th seed’s serve to stay in the match, when a loss of power in the local area affected scoreboards and the camera above the court.
The positioning of the camera when it lost power meant the match could not continue even with line judges, as it was stuck in the eyeline of the players.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Madrid Open match between Grigor Dimitrov and Jacob Fearnley before it was suspended due to the power outage
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch the moment the power outage hit Coco Gauff’s post-match interview
Play was stopped at 12.34pm local time and – after remaining on court for some time – the pair were eventually taken inside to wait for the issue to be rectified.
Electronic line calling systems were also affected by the power cut, the ATP said, while spectators shared pictures of dark hallways at the Manzanares Park Tennis Centre.
Gigi Salmon, speaking on Sky Sports News, said: “Everyone is in darkness. I walked past the player restaurant and the players are eating by candlelight so that they can actually see what they’re eating.”
Play was suspended at the Madrid Open when Dimitrov was leading Fearnley 6-4 5-4
The tournament later cancelled play for the day, explaining on social media site X: “For reasons beyond the control of the organisation and in order to guarantee general safety, the nationwide power-cut experienced in Spain on Monday April 28 has forced the cancellation of both the day and night sessions at the Mutua Madrid Open.”
Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it could take up to 10 hours to restore power – as airports and public transport services have been affected in both countries.
“We are beginning to recover power in the north and south of the peninsula, which is key to gradually meeting the electricity supply,” said Red Electrica via X.
“This process involves the gradual energisation of the transmission grid as the generating units are connected. We continue working to restore power.”
Spectators were stuck in dark hallways at the Manzanares Park Tennis Centre
The blackout caused chaos
Parts of the Madrid underground were evacuated and traffic lights in the city stopped working while El Mundo reported thousands of passengers had to be evacuated after the outage left the metro service in Barcelona without power.
National media reports in Spain reported Sevilla and Valencia were also hit by the outage and telephone lines were also down across the country, while parliament in Madrid and metro stations across the country in the dark.
In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country. Parts of France were also affected, according to further reports.
Red Electrica announced on Tuesday morning that Spain had recovered more than 99 per cent of its power, with tournament organisers confirming that play would resume as scheduled.
The statement said: “Power supply has been restored at the Caja Mágica. To ensure the proper functioning of the entire facility, gates will open at 11:00 AM, and play will begin at 12:00 PM, as originally scheduled.”
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
