Wed Apr 30 20:50:00 UTC 2025: ## De Minaur Thrives on Clay as Djokovic Suffers Shock Madrid Exit
**Madrid, Spain** – Alex de Minaur continued his impressive clay-court form at the Madrid Open, cruising to a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Lorenzo Sonego. The Australian’s performance stood in stark contrast to that of Novak Djokovic, who suffered a shocking first-round exit, losing to Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-4.
De Minaur, who reached the semi-finals in Monte Carlo and the quarter-finals in Barcelona, displayed a controlled game with only nine unforced errors. He expressed his comfort on the clay, writing “Como en casa” (like home) on the camera lens after his win. He attributes his improved clay-court game to a stronger serve and a more aggressive approach, leading to fewer unforced errors. He will next face Denis Shapovalov.
Djokovic, on the other hand, is struggling on clay, suffering his third consecutive first-round defeat. His performance was marred by 32 unforced errors. The 37-year-old Serb even questioned his future participation in the Madrid Open, stating he wasn’t sure if he would return next year. Arnaldi, ecstatic with his victory over his idol, simply wrote “OMG” on the camera lens.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Jan-Lennard Struff in a three-set battle and will play Lorenzo Musetti in the next round.
First Piper 