Madrid Open Lambasted With ‘Cursed’ Tags as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehechka Injuries Leads to Disastrous Ending

The 2024 Madrid Open has been “cursed” for many players. Several players have had to withdraw from the tournament or struggle to play matches due to injury. Jiri Lehecka was the latest victim, as he had to retire from his semifinal clash 3-3. His retirement helped Felix Auger-Aliassime reach his first ATP 1000 final and petrify tennis fans.

Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Jakub Mensik are the players who had to retire during their run in the Madrid Open. Carlos Alcaraz entered the tournament with a troublesome right forearm and eventually fell to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal. Lehecka played in Madrid after withdrawing from Monte-Carlo and Barcelona due to a right vertebrae issue.

He left the court for treatment at 3-3 and returned to serve. The Czech player won two points but couldn’t continue and collapsed, holding his lower back. An unfortunate sight for Lehecka, who beat Rafael Nadal earlier this week, left fans wondering if the Madrid Open was cursed. Jose Morgado shared his thoughts on ‘X’ where he wrote, “Wow. So sad for Jiri. This ATP tournament is cursed. 🤦🏻‍♂️”

A user agreed with Morgado while believing it was also the ‘wackiest’. “It really is cursed by far the wackiest masters 1000 I’ve seen.”

One fan simply wondered what was going on and why many players were injured. “OMG, what’s going on? Lots of injured players!”

Yet another fan wondered what was going on in the tournament, “Seriously, what is happening there?”

“Mutua Madrid Hospital” was a pun used by a fan to show their surprise at the number of players injured in the tournament.

One follower said that the tournament was simply a major disaster, “An absolute dumpster fire.”

Emotions flared up when fans saw Lehecka attempting to stand up and looking defeated after his unfortunate fall. He became one of the many players who had to exit due to an injury. 

Players who became injury victims in the Madrid Open before Jiri Lehecka

The Australian Open 2024 champion Jannik Sinner had to retire before his quarterfinal clash against Aliassime due to a hip injury. He entered the tournament with an issue impeding his movement, which became worse after playing. Regardless of the injury, he still made it to the quarterfinal. Daniil Medvedev took an off-court medical timeout during the fifth game.

After returning, he had trouble moving to his right and took his team’s help on-court at 4-3. He lost the first set and eventually retired as the injury did not allow him to play beyond the first set. Jakub Mensik was another player who stepped into his match against Aliassime with his right arm taped up. His forehand and serve had a noticeable dip, which caused him to retire after the first set.

Like Lehecka, Carlos Alcaraz entered Madrid with an injury. He lasted till the quarterfinal until he faced Andrey Rublev, who ousted him in three sets. Madrid became the graveyard for the hopes of many, but it worked out well for Aliassime, who received three walkovers. Can he make the most of it?