His name is Alexander Blockx, he is 21 years old and he smashes the ball on every serve. He is another breath of fresh air. If Spanish tennis enjoys the emergence of Rafael Jódar, stopped in the quarterfinals by Jannik Sinner on Wednesday, Belgium now also enjoys it with a player who follows similar parameters to the Madrid native. Until recently unknown to the general public, he is now making a breakthrough at the Caja Mágica. “I am happy just to be here and I was happy after winning a match, so I never would have dreamed of reaching the semifinals,” he says after eliminating the defending champion, Casper Ruud, and becoming the tournament’s big surprise. He will face Alexander Zverev on Friday (20:00, Tdp and Movistar+) (6-1 and 6-4 against Flavio Cobolli).
Blockx, a tall guy from Antwerp with a slight resemblance to Canadian Milos Raonic, savors the victory (double 6-4, in 1h 36m) and extends another outstanding rise. If Jódar (19 years old) has climbed from 165th to 34th since January, he has done so from 117th to 35th. “Honestly, I didn’t think I would get this far, but when you have confidence and start to feel your game, many things can happen. I have improved a lot in all shots and physically, too,” he points out shortly after Ruud admits to being impressed because “he can do many things” and at the same time “reads the game very well.” Whether it is circumstantial or not, time will tell, his breakthrough coincides with the particularities of the Madrid tournament, where the ball flies differently.
“Here the conditions are a bit faster than in other clay court tournaments, and that helps,” specifies the Belgian, who in November met Jódar at the Next Gen Masters — reaching the final there — and later beat the Spaniard in the final of the Canberra challenger at the start of the season. He was also number one as a junior (2023) and these days has been leaving behind established rivals like Cristian Garin (85th), Brandon Nakashima (32nd), Felix Auger-Aliassime (5th) or Francisco Cerúndolo (20th), before overcoming the defending champion. “I haven’t found weaknesses in his game,” says Ruud, impressed by his baseline game and, of course, his serve.
The altitude of the Spanish capital (657 meters above sea level) is especially beneficial for powerful arms like Blockx’s, who against the Nordic player conceded only five points with his first serves and from a broader perspective, dominates the tournament when it comes to putting the first ball in play. According to Tennis Insights data, the Belgian has an average serve effectiveness of up to 80% — above Zverev’s 78% — and his opponents have been unable to return 55% of his serves. He has recorded 42 aces (more than eight per match) and his averages are very notable: he lands 60% of his serves, wins up to 80% of points played on his first serve and 58% on his second. He has defended 20 of the 23 break points he has faced so far.
Sinner and the trick
With Jódar already in the spotlight, Sinner gave a nod to the Belgian after overcoming the quarterfinal barrier. “He is playing tennis of very high quality and I think now, especially in this tournament, many very young players are appearing. We can’t forget Blockx either, for example; he is a bit off the radar, but he is an incredible player,” said the number one, who warns that the confidence and shots of the young giant — 1.93m, a couple of centimeters taller than the Spaniard — are a threat to be taken into account. The Italian has emphasized several times the conditions in Madrid and despite the progressive adaptation these days, he remains wary.
“They are unique,” he said upon arrival. “There is altitude, there can be wind at times… it’s not so easy to play. I’m trying to improve as a tennis player and this tournament can be one of the most challenging. I have never played well here,” recalled the circuit leader, scheduled this Friday (16:00) against Frenchman Arthur Fils in the first round. For Sinner, as for everyone, it has been hard to get the hang of a setting where the ball tends to go long and is difficult to control, but which in turn gains an extra point of speed and comes off faster than usual (in the context of clay) compared to other tournaments like Monte Carlo, Barcelona or Rome, which are more similar to Roland Garros.
This explains the splendid performance of Zverev, two-time champion (2018 and 2021) and finalist in 2022, and now the unexpected progression of Blockx, who when asked about the chances that those from his age group (2005) or Jódar’s (2006) might one day challenge Sinner and Alcaraz, responds: “We’re going to try, that’s for sure. I think they are still one step ahead, but that’s why we are here. It will be very difficult, but if you believe in it, you have a small chance.”
ALCARAZ, SUPPORTED BY HIS BROTHER JAIME
Carlos Alcaraz was seen again at the facilities in the San Fermín neighborhood. The world number two, 22 years old, watched his brother Jaime — the youngest of the four — debut in the under-16 tournament, with a good result: double 6-3 against Pol Mas, in 68 minutes.
The Murcian had already been at the Caja Mágica the previous week, when he traveled to Madrid to fulfill a series of commercial commitments and with the tournament. As in his recent appearances, the tennis player wore a protective splint on his right wrist, injured since the Godó.
It is unknown when he will compete again — he will not be able to do so soon in Rome nor in Roland Garros — and while he recovers, he wanted to support his brother from the stands of Court 7, invited by the organization. Alongside him were his father Carlos and his mother Virginia.
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