Anastasia Potapova Makes WTA History as First Lucky Loser to Reach Madrid Semifinals

Anastasia Potapova upsets Karolina Pliskova in Madrid, becoming the first lucky loser to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal while surging toward the top 30 rankings.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 1, 2026, 3:28 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Tennis365

A Historic Milestone in the Spanish Capital

The Madrid Open witnessed a landmark moment in women's professional tennis as Anastasia Potapova became the inaugural lucky loser to advance to the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament. Despite an initial exit in the qualifying rounds, the Austrian athlete secured a main draw position following the late withdrawal of Madison Keys. Potapova capitalized on this secondary opportunity by navigating a difficult path through the bracket, culminating in a resilient 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova to secure her place in the penultimate round.

Navigating the Path to the Final Four

Potapova's journey through the tournament has been defined by a series of high-profile victories against established opponents. Before facing Pliskova, she recorded wins over Zhang Shuai and Jelena Ostapenko to reach the fourth round, where she subsequently pulled off a significant upset against world number two Elena Rybakina. Her quarterfinal opponent, Pliskova, entered the event using a protected ranking of 197 following extended injury absences, having defeated Maria Sakkari and Elise Mertens during her own impressive surge through the earlier rounds of the competition.

Emotional Resilience During a Tense Quarterfinal

The quarterfinal encounter between the two competitors proved to be a physical and mental test that spanned three competitive sets. After a dominant opening set for the Austrian, the match tightened as Pliskova demonstrated veteran composure by saving three match points during the second-set tiebreak to force a decider. Potapova later noted that she experienced a lapse in self-belief during the final set, but credited the timely arrival of her partner, Tallon Griekspoor, for providing the emotional boost necessary to regain focus and close out the match.