A major power outage in Spain threw the prestigious Madrid Open tennis tournament into chaos, forcing matches to be suspended and leaving players and fans in shock. Among those affected was Britain’s Jacob Fearnley, who was dramatically pulled off the court just moments after saving a match point against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov during their intense third-round clash.
Fearnley, trailing 6-4 5-4 and preparing to serve, found himself caught in the unexpected blackout that crippled the event’s primary court. The failure knocked out the tournament’s electronic line-checking technology, replacing traditional line judges, and blacked out the electronic scoreboards, plunging the venue into confusion.
Officials initially attempted to continue the match manually, with the umpire taking over line-calling duties. However, play was ultimately halted when the spider camera, suspended low above the court, froze and blocked the players’ view, making conditions unplayable. After tense discussions courtside, the umpire had no choice but to lead both players back to the locker rooms, leaving fans uncertain about when action would resume.
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Spain’s national electricity operator, Red Eléctrica, confirmed that widespread power interruptions had hit the country and assured the public that urgent efforts were underway to restore normalcy. The blackout also triggered disruptions beyond the tennis courts, with traffic lights failing across Madrid and authorities evacuating parts of the subway system. Neighboring Portugal also reported similar outages, raising concerns about a broader regional electrical grid issue.
Fearnley, who hails from Scotland, is one of three British players still battling in the third round in Madrid. Later today, Cameron Norrie is set to face Canada’s Gabriel Diallo, while Britain’s top-ranked player Jack Draper is gearing up for a crucial showdown against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.
The power outage has not only shaken one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year but also cast a shadow over Spain’s infrastructure readiness, especially as global attention remains fixed on Madrid during the Open. Tournament organizers and players alike are now racing against time to salvage the disrupted schedule and bring the event back on track.
