The Madrid Open is known for its high-altitude clay courts and fierce competition, but recently, the conversation has circled back to the grueling schedule. For the American men on the tour, the tournament proved to be a harsh reality check, as all were wiped out early. Former pros John Isner and Steve Johnson recently discussed this lack of success and why skipping it entirely might have been a masterstroke.
How Frances Tiafoe Skipping Madrid Puts Tommy Paul’s Schedule in Focus
During a recent breakdown of the tournament on the “Nothing Major Show,” Isner pointed out the American men’s poor showing, noting that none, including Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, could make a deep run in Madrid.
Shelton, entering as the No. 4 seed, lost in the Round of 64 to qualifier Dino Prizmic, 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(5). Paul, the No. 15 seed, was likewise bounced in his opening Round of 64 match, losing 7-5, 6-4 to Thiago AgustÃn Tirante.
Learner Tien, seeded 17th, was knocked out in his opening Round of 64 match by qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. Emilio Nava provided a brief spark by winning two matches to reach the Round of 32, but his run abruptly ended there with a 7-6(2), 6-3 loss to Arthur Fils. No U.S. men could make it past the third round.
However, Johnson offered a unique perspective on who truly came out on top: Frances Tiafoe. While Taylor Fritz was sidelined recovering from an injury, Tiafoe chose to skip the Madrid Open altogether, successfully avoiding the unnecessary physical and mental drain, keeping himself fresh for the rest of the European clay-court swing.
“You know who the real winner is among the Americans in Madrid? It’s Frances Tiafoe,” Johnson said. “Him and Taylor Fritz for not playing; just being home and skipping it.”
Meanwhile, after getting knocked out of the Madrid draw early, Paul had a massive scheduling void.
“I mean, these two-week tournaments are brutal. I don’t know what you’re going to do. We were trying to figure out what Tommy Paul might do this week. Does he just take it off and wait 14 days until Rome? Nobody knows, but it’s brutal, and the schedule stinks,” Johnson said.
Historically, Masters 1000 events were short one-week affairs. If a player lost early, they could simply pack their bags and travel to the next city for a new tournament. However, the ATP Tour has recently expanded marquee events like Madrid and Rome into 12- to 14-day tournaments, and even the top-tier players skipping major events to focus on health became a common sight.
Next up, the 2026 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, a.k.a the Rome Masters or the Italian Open, will be held from 5-17 May, at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. Both Tiafoe and Paul are expected to enter the draw.
