Many A-listers had withdrawn from the Madrid Open before it even began. And even after the kickoff, the number is still increasing, with Madison Keys being the latest entrant to the list.

The Aussie pulled out of the tournament just minutes before her second-round clash due to health issues.

The World No. 17 had received a bye in the first round due to her ranking, but was then unable to feature in her match against Zhang Shuai due to illness. She was replaced by Linz Open finalist Anastasia Potapova, who was chosen as the lucky loser. She took full advantage of the opportunity provided to her and comprehensively defeated Shuai 6-3, 6-1.

On the other hand, Keys’ fitness concerns continue. She had previously faced a groin issue during her quarterfinal clash against Aryna Sabalenka at the Brisbane International. She was even forced to take a medical timeout due to this during the match. The veteran then remained out of action in February before returning at the Indian Wells Masters. However, she hasn’t been in her best form since.

Keys suffered a second-round exit in California as Sonay Kartal handed her a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 defeat. Things didn’t improve for her at the Miami Open either, as another second-round elimination followed, this time against Qinwen Zheng.

The 2025 Australian Open champion would then go on to have a solid run at the Charleston Open. She made it to the semifinals, defeating the likes of Dona Vekic, Anna Bondar, and Belinda Bencic. However, her campaign would be brought to an end by underdog Yuliia Starodubtseva. Keys was then expected to feature at the Stuttgart Open, but she ended up missing the tournament.

The American’s withdrawal from the Madrid Masters could see her ranking deteriorate as she had made it to the quarterfinals last year before being eventually knocked out by Iga Swiatek.

Keys has picked up the illness at a crucial part of the tour. The Madrid Open is set to be followed by the Rome Masters from April 6, before the French Open rolls in from April 24. With a huge number of points at stake, no player would want to miss any of these tournaments.

However, the Madrid Open has got off to quite a rocky start as a significant number of headline stars have pulled out of the competition.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and many others pulled out of the Madrid Open

Local hero Carlos Alcaraz will be out of action at the event as he sustained a wrist injury during his Barcelona Open clash against Otto Virtanen. The injury seemed serious, which might affect the Spaniard’s chances at the Rome Masters as well.

Novak Djokovic is another headline name who has pulled out of the Madrid Open due to fitness issues. He has still not recovered from the right shoulder injury that he had picked up at the Indian Wells Masters. He has been on the sidelines for over a month now and has yet to commence his clay swing.

Keys isn’t the only American to miss the tournament as the likes of Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda, Amanda Anisimova, Emma Navarro, and McCartney Kessler have all withdrawn as well. While Fritz is out of action due to the recurring issues with his knee, Tiafoe still hasn’t given any reason behind his abrupt withdrawal from the tournament, and Korda is recovering from physical issues.

On the other hand, Anisimova has picked up a wrist injury, and Navarro is dealing with undisclosed health issues. Kessler will also be missing the tournament due to the back injury that she had suffered at the Billie Jean King Cup.

Additionally, Holger Rune will be absent from the Madrid Masters as he is still recovering from the ACL injury that he sustained at the Stockholm Open last year. Karolina Muchova is another player who has picked up an illness before the tournament. Emma Raducanu is another notable absentee as she too is suffering from a viral illness.

The Madrid Open organizers will be hoping that the star power at the tournament does not decrease further in the coming days. With several players having pulled out from the competition, who do you think will reign supreme on the clay courts of the Spanish capital?