Goodbye Roberto

Bautista Agut has announced the end of his career in 2026, a one-of-a-kind player!

I think it’s a good decision for Agut, his 2026 season was really quite sluggish, he’d reached the limit of what he can do with his game, which is still based on a rock-solid physique, whereas I’ve seen him crack physically several times and he can’t make up for it. What remains to be seen is whether this news will allow him to find one last burst and pull off a few surprises before bowing out. Maybe on grass or on a fast indoor surface at a push, but I struggle to see him being effective on clay. Madrid is maybe the last clay tournament where he can take advantage of the altitude to gain some power and avoid being completely out of ideas from the baseline, but on the other hand the high bounce doesn’t suit him at all with his flat strokes, and defensively he’s going to be outpaced quickly. His track record here is honestly nothing special, it’s only on an irrational level that you can imagine him doing something, like feeding off a fired‑up crowd, for example…

For what could potentially be his last match here, he’ll be up against Tirante, who’s really on an upward trajectory! The 25‑year‑old Argentine is exploding this year and improving a lot, and on top of that he’s got real confidence in himself. His results back him up and he’ll just want to keep winning again and again. He’s also managing his schedule well: after his big tournament in Houston, he chose not to play back‑to‑back. He’s coming in super fresh and confident, and in his case the conditions are ideal: we’re talking about an aggressive clay‑courter who stands out thanks to the quality of his serve and the power of his forehand – it’s hard to find a better profile for Madrid. Watch out for how he handles the mental side of the match though: he’s nervous and can get annoyed quickly when he misses. If Agut is in the zone and doesn’t give him anything, then he’ll start doubting and forcing things, but if that happens we’ll see it live...