Coco Gauff of USA serves against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during the Women’s Round of 16 match on Day Seven of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica on April 28, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Former U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff was preparing to shower in a dark locker room after play at the Madrid Open was suspended and then postponed Monday (April 28, 2025) due to a major power outage in Spain and Portugal.

Then Gauff realized the water was off, too.

“So I just had to take baby wipes and wipe myself,” Gauff said, “and spray some perfume and call it a day.”

Gauff managed to beat Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-2 shortly before the outage, which apparently cut off the sound as she was giving a post-match interview on the court. Then the 2023 U.S. Open champion posted an Instagram story showing only an emergency light working in an otherwise dark locker room.

Fans are seen after the matches get suspended due to a power outage
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

The power went out at 12:34 p.m. local time (1034 GMT), stopping two ATP singles matches and one doubles match that were underway. For the day, a total of 22 matches had to be canceled.

“The cut is preventing the use of electronic line calling systems and also left a spider cam dangling over the court inside Manolo Santana Stadium,” the ATP added.

Tournament organizers said they “had no choice but to suspend/cancel all sporting activity in order to guarantee the safety of the players, fans and personnel.” Spectators were told to leave the sports complex.

Power was restored at night through most parts of Madrid, and organizers said play will resume on Tuesday.

Second-ranked Alexander Zverev, a two-time Madrid Open champion, will face Francisco Cerundolo, while Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev will also be in action.

On the women’s side, the remaining six fourth-matches were expected to be played on Tuesday, including top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka facing Peyton Stearns and second-ranked Iga Swiatek taking on Diana Shnaider.

When play was stopped, Grigor Dimitrov was leading Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 5-4 inside the main stadium. Also, Matteo Arnaldi was leading Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 3-2 but that match continued later — apparently with manual line calling — and Arnaldi won 6-3, 6-4.

The doubles was also completed and some players practiced despite the outage.

The blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines.

Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica declined to speculate on the cause of the blackout.

Meanwhile, Gauff also posted a photo of candles being distributed.

“It’s just crazy how much we depend on electricity,” Gauff said. “It’s really insane and puts it in perspective.”

Another fourth-round women’s match was also completed before the blackout: Mirra Andreeva beat Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-1, 6-4.

It’s not easy for a young up-and-comer to make an impression in a team stacked with superstars. But N. Sree Charani did just that in the recently concluded iteration of the Women’s Premier League, where she represented runner-up Delhi Capitals.

The 20-year-old left-arm spinner featured in crucial games against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians (final), leaving a lasting impression on teammates, including skipper Meg Lanning, and those watching from the stands and on TV.

With selectors keeping an eye on her domestic performances, where she proved handy with the bat too, Charani unsurprisingly earned a maiden India call-up for the Tri-Nation series involving India, South Africa, and Sri Lanka in the island nation. In her debut game against the host, she finished with two wickets, conceding just 26 runs in eight overs.

In an interview with The Hindu, the Kadapa native looked back at her maiden WPL stint, her call-up to the senior National team, how COVID-19 pandemic shaped her budding career, and more. Excerpts

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What was your initial reaction to getting the India call-up?

I was very proud of it. Playing with Harman di (Harmanpreet Kaur), Smriti (Mandhana) di, Jemi di (Jemimah Rodrigues), they are such legends of the game, and to be playing with them is a pleasure.

I knew that they would see my performances in the WPL. I had the hope that if I performed in the Multi-day Challenger (in Dehradun), I might have a chance.

When I played in that tournament, after my first match, I felt there was a chance of getting the call-up. I got a six-wicket haul, and felt like I bowled well in that match. I thought if I kept performing like this in the next few games, then I stood a chance.

Was the call-up that came for the Tri-Series validating, given all your efforts to come through the ranks?

When I officially got the news, there was a Challenger match going on. I was in the dressing room. Harleen (Deol) di and Yasthika (Bhatia) di entered, gave me the news, and congratulated me.

Actually, we sort of knew beforehand about the news because they asked us for our jersey [name, number, and size] the previous night, and I had shared it with my parents. I told them that there was a chance [of getting a call-up]. I was actually a little nervous then, wondering what would happen, and I was a little tense till I got the confirmation.

I spoke with my parents six hours after I got the official news. My mother and my uncle were very excited. Everyone was excited, honestly, but they both were a little extra happy.

Were you always into cricket, or did you try your hand at other sports in your younger days?

My father first enrolled me in badminton when I was in class six. I used to play, come home, and then start move to playing cricket. He then made me sign up for an academy in Proddatur and even complained to the coaches there that I would return home after coaching and start playing cricket without taking any rest.

I played Kho Kho in school too. Usually, I would come home and then head to play Kho Kho by 5:30pm. I used to go early, play cricket, and then go for Kho Kho.

Cricket was constantly on my mind. Even when I was going for athletics, I used to ask my father about joining a cricket academy. When I was in Class 10, he finally agreed to let me switch to cricket full time.

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How did COVID-19 affect your game?

COVID-19 helped me a lot, actually. There was a mud ground near my house, I used to work on both batting and bowling there, alongside my brothers and friends. I played a lot and had no fear of playing the game even before I started training professionally.

I then went to an academy in Hyderabad for training. That’s where my name was submitted for the state U-19 probables list. That’s how everything fell into place for me.

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Tell us your first impressions of life with the Delhi Capitals in the WPL.

When I first joined the DC camp, I did not have any idea of how things would be. The team gave me a lot of comfort; it was a fantastic group.

I am normally a very calm person. Jemi di used to come and speak with me a lot, she would give me the same amount of comfort that Aru (statemate Arundhati Reddy) akka used to give. That helped me settle down quickly.

Who among the squad ended up becoming your close friends during your time with the franchise?

Aru akka and Jemi di took care of me very well. Whatever was there or whatever I needed, I could ask them very freely. There is no language barrier between Aru akka, so I would ask her if I had any doubts. I was very comfortable with Aru akka and Sneha (Deepthi) akka because we all speak the same language, as well as Jemi di and Lisa (Keightley) ma’am. Even after the WPL final, Jemi di came and told me, “While your analysis may be different, please know that you bowled very well.”

How did the WPL playing experience help and change you, if at all?

As a person, I have not changed much, but as a professional, my routines have changed. Take food consumption, for example. I keep an eye on the amount of protein, fiber, and vitamins I consume.

I have been very inspired after seeing everyone in the WPL, in the DC team, and beyond – their routines, their discipline, and more. I understood why all those players have achieved as much as they have, and the amount of work that went into achieving it.

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Videos of your camaraderie with DC assistant coach Lisa Keightley were quite popular during the league. What has your association with her been like?

Lisa ma’am (DC assistant coach) is very experienced. She was very helpful. I got feedback on what I can do, what to improve in my bowling, and a lot more. She was the reason why I got some structure and clarity in my game. We had Jess (Jonassen) at DC who is a very experienced left-arm spinner and one of the world’s best. What Lisa ma’am used to do was speak with her and also with Meg (Lanning), and ask them ‘What’s going on with Shree? What can she do today to improve?’ and get information. That used to be very helpful to me; it would give me a clear plan on what I could and should be doing.

Lisa ma’am is the reason why my bowling got a lot more clarity. She used to help me a lot, not just in cricket but in all things; she would give me a lot of guidance. She is a very funny person also, and she can handle anything with a smile. She doesn’t take anything to heart, she is a very genuine person.

How was your relationship with your captain Lanning?

My relationship with Meg was good. She also used to guide me a lot. She would tell me how and where to bowl, what kind of fields to set, how to bowl to a particular field, and more. In the match, she would talk to me before every ball and remind me of the plan we discussed.

I learned how to be calm from her, irrespective of the situation. When I was getting smashed for sixes in the WPL final, if Meg wasn’t around, I would have been more nervous. She and the whole team were constantly cheering me on, telling me when I was doing well.

That final was disappointing for the DC faithful. How do you look back at that match?

When I look back, I feel bad about it. I think I could have performed slightly better, maybe. I felt that right after the match and even now, when I think about it.

How did your family and friends react to your WPL stint?

All of my friends and family watched my WPL matches. I got a lot of messages after the two matches I played in WPL. It took me two days to reply to all those messages. Those messages gave me a lot of confidence in my performance during the league.

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There was a lot of praise for your fielding in the WPL. How do you go about working on improving that aspect of your game?

I was a much better fielder, but I am not that good right now. I need to work on that, since I am just making my way back from a few niggles. It will take about six months for me to get back to my old self. It doesn’t matter if I am in the playing 11. I would go and take catches daily, work with Milap (Mewada, the fielding coach at DC). If I wasn’t playing in a match, I would finish bowling and stay with him and then take catches for about 20 minutes, which eventually helped me.

Are you keeping an eye on the Women’s World Cup in India later this year?

Every player will want to take part in the World Cup, that’s obvious. If I have to go there, I need to focus on the present. My dream is to play for India, and if possible, in a World Cup. But I am not going to think about that. I will keep working hard. Whatever has to happen will happen.