The Madrid Open turned into an unexpected adventure on Monday when a massive power outage swept through Spain and Portugal. One doubles match and two singles matches were underway when the lights flickered out at 12:34 p.m. local time (CEST). The sudden blackout knocked out the electronic line-calling systems and left a spider cam dangling awkwardly over Manolo Santana Stadium. The outage forced tournament officials to suspend all play for the rest of the day. One of the most viral moments from the day came from none other than Coco Gauff, who was in a live interview when the power went out. Several other American stars also came up with hilarious remarks on this unique situation. So, what really happened in Madrid?

The huge power outage in parts of Spain and Portugal grounded planes, halted public transport, and sparked panic buying. Millions of homes and businesses were left without electricity, and Madrid was no exception. At the Open, spectators used phone torches to find their way around the darkened venue, while food stalls went old-school, completing transactions with cash.

Adding to the strange atmosphere, players and staff shared stories of lighting dining areas and other spaces with candles. It was like stepping back in time, with fans carefully walking the gangways under a blanket of darkness.

Surprisingly, the moment the power went out was caught on camera during Coco Gauff’s on-court interview. After her straight-sets win over Belinda Bencic, 6-4, 6-2, the 21-year-old American was in the middle of her on-court interview when the power outage hit. She was sharing her pre-match routine, saying, “I definitely had avocado toast and what else did I – Oh, fruits! So that was pretty much it. It was an early start. I didn’t sleep that well last night, so maybe I just need to like not get a lot of sleep,” when, all of a sudden, her microphone cut out and the stadium went dark.

Now, other tennis stars have taken to X to make ‘light’ of the situation. Peyton Stearns, who beat Amanda Anisimova in the third round and was supposed to face World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16, found a hilarious coincidence. After her win, Stearns had posted a photo with the caption, “What’s done in the dark comes to the light 🔥.” The very next day, the entire city was plunged into darkness. Realizing the irony, Stearns joked, “I didn’t mean this literally…..”

Taylor Fritz, who was scheduled to face Casper Ruud in their Round of 16 match, also expressed his thoughts with a chuckle. “Have they tried unplugging and plugging it back in?” the US Open finalist wrote on social media.

But, Coco Gauff managed to finish her match just in time before all this happened.

Coco Gauff expresses relief at her escaping the darkness

Coco Gauff finished her match right before the lights went out, dodging the mess that left many players stuck mid-game. The 21-year-old wasn’t shy about sharing how relieved she was. With so much chaos around, she posted a story on Instagram thanking her lucky stars for the timing. “Apparently the power is out in most of the country, and in Portugal, I finished my match right before it happened! Thank God,” her caption read.

While Gauff avoided the blackout during her match, it did mess with her post-match plans. She even shared a video from inside the women’s locker room, which was so dark that only one small emergency light could be seen near the showers.

In another interesting twist, Gauff’s next opponent, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, also wrapped up her match just before the outage hit. So, their quarterfinal battle is all set, adding even more spice to the story.

Looking ahead, the matches that were suspended on Monday will now be played on Tuesday. There’s hope that the power will be back by then and the tournament can get back on track.

In the end, the Madrid Open had an unexpected plot twist that no one could have scripted. Will the players be ready to light up the court once again, this time — literally?