Tallon Griekspoor has yet to register a win in the clay season, but Madrid could offer him a better fit when second-round matches begin on Day 3 of the ATP Mutua Madrid Open. The Dutchman's game is expected to benefit from the conditions in the Spanish capital, where his serve-and-volley tactics may have more room to work.
Even so, Griekspoor still has to win plenty of points from the baseline, and that remains the test that has tripped him up so far on clay. Madrid gives him a chance to change that early-season story before the tournament tightens around the higher seeds.
Damir Dzumhur arrives with some momentum after a strong display against Mattia Bellucci in the previous round, and the preview had him taking that match in three sets. That kind of form matters in Madrid, where one good day can quickly alter the shape of the draw.
Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, comes in on a 17-match win streak and is chasing a place in the record book as the first player in the Open Era to win five consecutive Masters tournaments. The preview had him beating Benjamin Bonzi in two sets, a reflection of both Sinner's level and Bonzi's reputation as a strong ball striker.
The absence of Carlos Alcaraz leaves a different look to the event, and that only raises the stakes for the players trying to seize a route through the draw. For Griekspoor, the question is whether Madrid really is the place where a difficult clay season starts to turn.
